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THE 

VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO 


BY 

LOUIS  LOMBARD 

Author  of  "  The  Art  Melodious"  M  Observations  of  a  Bachelor, 

"  Observations  of  a  Traveler"  Composer  of  the  Opera  "  Juliet" 

Founder  and  former  Director  Utica  {New  York) 

Conservatory  of  Music,  etc.,  etc. 


BOSTON 

DANA  ESTES  &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,   1898 

By  F.  Tennyson  Neely 

In  United  States  and  Great  Britain 

All  rights  reserved 

Copyright,  1909 
By  Dana  Estes  &  Company 


$4    oUv    HltkXu     U*<pVLClu 


EDWB5)  GOULD, 

AS  A  MEMENTO  OF  MY  GRATITUDE  AND  FRIENDSHIP,, 


552511 


The  joys  of  love— parental,  filial,  consanguinal,  sexual,  or  altruistio 
—are  but  lightning  flashes,  whil'i  Jts  sorrows  may  be  eternal.  Thus, 
though  physically  and  psychically  endowed  to  procure  happiness, 
many  a  mortal  m  this  vale  of  tears  shall  ask  in  vain  forevermore: 

"WHY   WAS   I   BORN?" 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


An  air  of  quiet  and  seriousness  permeates 
dusty  Montpellier.  In  the  environs,  pictur- 
esque landscapes  teeming  with  a  semi-tropi- 
cal vegetation  greet  the  eye  on  all  sides.  This 
quaint  old  town  of  Southern  France  stands  on 
a  low  hill  overlooking  a  narrow  and  smiling 
river.  A  monotonous  sound  like  a  hymn 
hummed  by  a  grandmother  runs  with  the 
waters  of  this  merry  stream  which,  a  little  be- 
yond, expires  with  a  soft  murmur  in  the  moist 
arms  of  the  Mediterranean. 

In  the  early  morning  hours  one  hears  about 
the  town  little  bells  that  dangle  from  the  neck 
of  asses  bringing  their  own  milk  to  the  con- 
sumer's door.  At  noon,  Basques  in  flat 
woolen  caps  play  mountainous  tunes  upon  a 


6  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

flute  of  many  reeds  similar  to  Pan's.  In  this 
odd  manner  these  wild  children  of  the  Pyrenees 
announce  to  those  about  to  dine  that,  for  a  few 
pennies,  a  long  piece  of  cream  cheese  may  be 
bought  wrapped  appetizingly  in  plaited  green 
grass.  When  evening  comes,  happy  folk- 
songs of  Languedoc  disturb  those  who  prefer 
their  quiet  hearth  to  the  pandemonium  of 
dominos  on  the  marble  tables  of  the  neighbor- 
ing ca/S.  These  characteristic  melodies  are 
sung  by  workmen  and  their  wives  or  sweet- 
hearts on  their  return  from  some  baptism  or 
wedding,  or,  mayhap,  they  serve  to  shorten 
the  distance  from  a  suburban  inn  renowned  for 
its  rabbit  stewed  in  claret.  Now  and  then 
one's  sleep  is  interrupted  by  drunken,  though 
harmless,  fellows  who  drowsily  bellow  a  popu- 
lar refrain  with  the  goat-like  tremolo  voice  of 
the  numerous  bad  singers  of  France  and  in  the 
style  familiar  to  the  inebriates  of  all  countries, 
that  is,  each  bringing  his  own  part  one  meas- 
ure after  the  others',  and  one  tone  and  some 
fractions  from  the  leader's  key. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  7 

Most  of  the  shops  are  closed  on  Sunday, 
except  the  drinking-places.  The  trade  of  these 
is  then  best,  because,  though  devout,  the  citi- 
zens are  good  livers.  To  and  from  the  Cathe- 
dral of  Saint-Koch  stretches  a  lengthy  file  of 
neatly-dressed  persons:  the  men  in  shining 
blue  blouses  or  black  cutaways ;  the  coquettish 
sex,  as  elsewhere  on  the  Sabbath,  adorned  with 
the  most  seductive  garments  they  can  borrow 
or  buy.  Some  women  are  attired  in  a  calico 
skirt  and  waist  over  which  latter  is  carefully 
pleated  a  coarse  silk  fichu  of  blinding  tint, 
just  as  their  mothers  wore ;  others  dress  with 
costly  fabrics  cut  in  the  latest  fashion. 

The  love  of  living  peacefully  with  the  ability 
to  do  so  seems  to  be  the  birthright  of  these 
good  people.  Of  course,  there  is  poverty 
here.  Where  is  there  none?  Nevertheless, 
judging  from  the  jovial  countenances  of  the 
lower  classes  in  the  Midi,  there  cannot  be  so 
much  suffering  here  as  among  the  plebes  of 
northern  regions.  Cheap  and  wholesome  wine, 
a  mild  atmosphere,  and   a  blue   vault   above 


8  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

almost  suffice  to  make  the  indigent  happy.  To 
be  penniless  in  cold  zones  where  fogs,  snows, 
and  blizzards  make  the  opulent  gloomy,  must 
be  unspeakably  hard.  What  care  men  in  a 
soft  clime  if  their  clothing  be  torn!  The 
rents  act  as  ventilators.  What  matters  it  to  a 
light-hearted  apprentice  here,  if  he  cannot 
have  meat  oftener  than  twice  a  week !  Three 
sous  of  alcohol  make  him  a  Croesus. 

This  staid,  ancient  community  has  its  select 
few:  the  nobility,  military  officers,  high 
governmental  and  municipal  officials,  college 
professors,  some  lawyers  and  physicians,  and, 
at  the  bottom  of  the  list,  a  few  successful  men 
of  business.  In  this  aristocratic  circle  the 
possession  of  money  is  esteemed  below  that  of 
ancestry  or  talent.  That  explains  why  Paul 
Koland,  an  eloquent  though  impecunious  bar- 
rister who  had  come  from  Paris  with  his  wife 
and  babe  only  one  year  ago,  was  already  re- 
ceived into  the  exclusive  salons  of  this  con- 
servative town. 

Owing  to  causes  often  summed  up  in  the 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  0 

polite  phrase,  incompatibility  of  temper,  Paul 
Koland  and  Eugenie  Duprez  had  sought  in  an 
illicit  union  the  happiness  denied  them  in 
marriage.  Before  meeting  each  other,  these 
congenial  natures  had  been  bound  in  a  loveless 
legal  union.  Separation,  at  that  epoch,  being 
the  only  relief  offered  by  the  Napoleon  Code, 
they  could  hope  to  legalize  their  relation  only 
after  the  death  of  wife  and  husband.  Freedom 
from  these  hateful  ties,  unhappily,  was  to  be 
denied  them. 

Soon  after  the  Franco-Prussian  war  they  left 
their  native  city,  Paris,  and  located  in  Mont- 
pellier.  One  day  their  son's  birth  certificate 
was  asked  for  by  a  census  clerk.  This  docu- 
ment showed  that  Eugene  Roland,  as  the  boy 
was  known,  had  been  registered  as  Eugene 
Duprez.  To  spare  her  little  one  the  ignominy 
of  being  classed  in  the  public  archives  as  a 
natural  child,  its  mother  had  given  the  name 
of  her  legal  husband  as  that  of  the  father. 
The  officious  employe  lost  no  time  in  prop- 
agating this  salty  bit  of  news.     It  fell  upon 


10  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

the  placid  town  like  a  stone  in  a  stagnant 
pond,  causing  circles  round  and  round  until  all 
the  social  waters  were  stirred  by  horror  and 
indignation. 

The  principal  reason  why  this  scandal 
spread  so  rapidly  was  that  the  jurist  and  his 
mate  belonged  to  a  better  class  than  did  the 
envious  clerk.  Without  that  social  disparity, 
however,  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  unpleasant 
report  would  have  ultimately  gone  forth. 
Acquaintances  hear  with  interest  of  happenings 
in  our  life,  if  these  may  react  favorably  upon 
our  "dear  friends"  themselves;  otherwise, 
their  attention  is  not  really  arrested  by  an 
event  concerning  us  exclusively,  however  for- 
tunate it  be.  It  is  when  the  occurrence  is  sad 
or  ridiculous  that  they  listen  eagerly,  that 
they  read  with  gusto.  In  our  absence  a  few 
talk  about  the  affair  with  indifference,  the  rest 
chuckle  over  it.  To  most  human  ears  evil 
reports  are  as  mellifluous  as  the  opening 
phrases  of  Lohengrin. 

A  couple   hitherto   respected   by  peers  and 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  11 

superiors  and  envied  by  inferiors,  found  them- 
selves pariahs  to  all,  more  despised  than  those 
belonging  to  the  lowest  set  in  India.  They 
felt  as  if  they  had  been  suddenly  turned  into 
loathsome  dogs  without  master  or  kennel. 
Admittance  was  denied  them  at  respectable 
gatherings.  The  "good"  woman  could  not 
forgive  this  man  for  having  "polluted  pure 
homes  with  the  presence  of  his  concubine!" 
Illegal  relations  hidden  are  tacitly  accepted  by 
"honest"  persons  without  number;  but,  woe 
to  the  transgressors  if  their  sins  are  pub- 
lished !  At  the  club,  which  he  had  helped  to 
found,  Paul  Eoland  was  most  politely  told 
that  his  visits  were  unwelcome :  executioners 
are  always  urbane.  In  the  street,  haughty 
stares  answered  Eugenie's  humble  bows;  and 
even  where  sisterly  love  has  been  preached 
since  the  Nazarene  shielded  Magdalene,  women 
friends  cut  her.  One  especially  devout  old 
maid  whose  chair  stood  next  to  that  of  Madame 
Eoland,  had  it  removed  to  another  part  of  the 
church. 


12  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

"I  pray  for  this  moral  leper  and  I  hope  she 
may  be  forgiven,  but  I  will  not  be  in  the  same 
aisle.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  fear  she  might 
want  to  talk  to  me.  How  dare  she  come  to 
desecrate  the  house  of  the  Lord!" 

Thus  this  bloodless  damsel,  who  had  never 
had  the  opportunity  to  falter,  whizzed  between 
decaying  teeth  her  sentiments  and  those  of  her 
companions.  And  each  self-respecting  inhab- 
itant threw  his  stone ;  some,  a  pebble,  others, 
a  huge  rock — this  usually  coming  from  the 
greatest  sinner  who,  by  vociferous  condemna- 
tions, expected  to  veil  the  better  an  undis- 
covered sin. 

Why  remain  in  a  city  in  which  they  were 
abhorred  by  all?  Because  the  sole  means  of 
support  was  his  practice.  A  lawyer  cannot, 
like  an  Arab,  fold  his  tent  and  raise  it  the 
next  morning  in  a  distant  oasis.  Strict  atten- 
tion to  business  for  a  period  of  years  in  the 
same  locality  ofttimes  barely  suffices  to  procure 
a  livelihood  in  the  legal  profession,  even  in 
new  countries  where  competition  does  not  reach 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  13 

its  apogee,  as  in  this  crowded,  anaemic,  en- 
ervated, famished  Old  World.  Prometheus- 
like, he  was  rock  bound.  She — oversensitive 
soul! — would  have  killed  herself  had  it  not 
been  for  her  beloved  child.  Although  crushed 
with  shame,  thanks  to  maternal  instincts 
Eugenie  found  a  supernatural  strength  to  bear 
her  infamy.  This  heart-sick  mother  now  de- 
voted her  whole  time  to  the  training  of  her  son 
in  the  art  of  music,  in  which  she  was  proficient. 
A  man  may  throw  the  gauntlet  to  merciless 
society  and  yet  live;  a  true  woman  cannot. 
Her  former  friends  became  so  cruel  in  the 
manifestation  of  their  scorn  that,  before  reach- 
ing the  age  of  thirty -five,  grief  wrecked  her 
impressionable  organism.  By  the  febrile 
light  of  a  lamp  one  night,  at  her  bedside  sat 
Paul.  She  was  expiating  her  wrong  by  a  dis- 
ease medical  science  cannot  diagnose :  a  cancer 
of  the  soul.  Notwithstanding  her  sin,  she  had 
remained  a  faithful  Koman  Catholic,  and  now 
feared  the  cruel,  unjust,  inconsistent  theologi- 
cal vengeance  of  Divine  Mercy.     As  her  life 


14  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

was  fast  ebbing  away  she  placed  her  hands  in 
his,  while  big  tears  slowly  rolled  down  her 
emaciated  cheeks. 

"Do  yon  think  God  will  forgive  us?  How 
could  I  help  following  you !  I  have  been  a 
good  wife  to  you,  Paul,  have  I  not?  The 
Creator  knew  how  much  I  would  suffer 
through  the  love  I  bore  you.  If  He  did  not 
want  us  to  meet,  why  were  we  placed  in  each 
other's  way?" 

"  My  sweet  Eugenie,  it  was  inevitable  that 
we  meet.  He  will  not  punish  you  for  that. 
All  these  years  we  have  remained  attached  by 
ties  of  affection,  threads  seemingly  slender 
considering  the  capriciousness  of  humanity. 
In  each  other's  conscience  we  led  upright  lives, 
though  breaking  social  rules.  After  all,  was 
love  created  by  legal  mandates  or  religious 
dogmas?  The  story  of  existences  passed 
happily  like  ours,  eloquently  proves  that  there 
may  be  sympathy  and  affinity  without  law  and 
church.  Can  these  human  chains  fetter  Cupid? 
The  fact  that  a  mayor  or  a  clergyman  officiates 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  15 

at  a  union  does  not  make  the  mutual  regard 
better  or  worse.  Owing  to  legal  obstacles 
many  others  have  lived  until  the  grave  without 
the  marriage  ceremony.  Had  these  couples 
not  loved,  would  they  not  have  separated  when 
a  shocked  world  was  retaliating  by  boycotting 
the  man's  business  and  slamming  its  doors  in 
the  woman's  face?  What  hindered  their  dis- 
union ?  They  had  ceased  to  dread  opprobrium : 
a  fear  which  keeps  together  many  an  inhar- 
monious, though  legalized,  household.  The 
worst  being  known,  there  was  nothing  to  lose 
by  parting ;  and  they  did  not  dread  the  expense 
of  attorney  and  tribunal  like  the  many  who 
refrain  from  divorcing  on  account  of  its  cost. 
These  persecuted  beings  could  have  disunited 
body  and  property  simply  by  saying,  'Good- 
by ! '  But  no !  darling !  Just  as  we  have 
tried  to  do,  they  too,  chose  to  atrophy  their 
sensibilities  and  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  admoni- 
tions of  the  well-behaved,  rather  than  extin- 
guish the  holy  flame  burning  on  love's  altar." 
Here  he  paused  and  pressed  her  tenderly  to  his 


16  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

breast,  then  added:  "Most  marriages  are 
heralded  by  careful  reflections.  Financial 
and  social  advantages  are  weighed,  while,  more 
than  once,  affection  is  not  in  the  scales. 
What,  however,  brings  reckless  creatures  like 
us  together?  Is  it  a  diabolical  force 
that  impels  them  to  shock  the  moral  sense  of 
unoffending  persons  and  to  disregard  results  so 
detrimental  to  themselves  and  to  society  ?  No ! 
It  is  a  power  divine !  It  is  that  spring  of  the 
noblest  actions :  it  is  love !  And  when  the  cup 
of  sensuousness  has  been  drained  to  the  bitter 
dregs ;  when,  mayhap,  one  of  the  two  becomes 
physically  worthless  while  the  other  stays  in 
the  prime  of  mental  and  bodily  vigor :  what 
magic  power  still  binds  these  frail  mortals  to 
each  other?  Is  it  not  love,  love  as  unalloyed 
as  that  of  a  mother?  From  the  lofty  eminence 
of  pure  reason  freed  from  conventionalities, 
from  ethical  fetishes  and  tin  gods,  relations 
like  ours  are  more  beautiful,  more  heaven-in- 
spired than  the  majority  of  legal  unions !  Do 
not  fear,    dearest!      If   there     is     a     better 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  17 

world,    our     marriarge    shall     be    sanctified 
there." 

"May  Heaven  be  merciful  to  us!"  she 
gasped,  then  fell  back  unconscious. 

For  minutes  which  to  Paul  seemed  hours 
she  remained  apparently  lifeless;  finally,  a 
slight  pressure  from  her  bony  hand  indicated 
that  the  spirit  had  not  yet  left.  Her  purple 
lips  quivered,  but  no  sound  could  reach  his 
ear.  Drawing  closer,  he  heard  her  call  in  a 
veiled  voice  almost  inaudible : 

"My  boy,  my  little  angel,  bring  him  to  me, 
oh!  quick,  bring  him  to  me!" 

The  child,  who  had  fallen  asleep  at  the  foot 
of  the  bed,  his  face  bathed  in  tears,  was  awak- 
ened. 

"Baby  dear!"  said  the  mother,  looking  into 
his  limpid  eyes,  "I  am  about  to  leave  you. 
Be  obedient  to  papa,  for  my  sake.  Do  not 
think  harshly  of  your  poor  mamma,  whatever 
the  world  may  say."  Here  she  waited  for 
breath.  "Bemember  how  much  she  has 
suffered.     Those  who  love  must  suffer.     Oh ! 


18  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

never  forget  that   those  who  love     .     .     .     • 

must M 

A  ghastly  smile  spread  over  the  ashy  lips 
like  a  ray  of  the  sun  struggling  through  an 
autumnal  sky.  A  faint  glimmer  in  glassy 
pupils  flickered  an  instant  as  a  butterfly  in  its 
agonizing  throes.  And  the  lamp  ceased  to 
burn. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO,  19 


n. 

Amid  scenes  in  which  he  had  passed  so 
many  glad  days,  Paul  Koland  could  not  endure 
the  void.  Each  twilight  brought  suggestions 
of  the  beloved  dead. 

"On  this  stand  there  would  be  hyacinths, 
were  she  here.  Poor  piano !  whose  fairy  touch 
can  make  you  sing  so  sweetly  again !  Dear 
geraniums,  you  are  withering!  She  would  not 
have  forgotten  you!  'Tis  here  my  darling 
laughed ;  alas !  there  she  wept.  Her  place  is 
empty  at  my  table :  I  cannot  eat.  Shall  I  ever 
sleep  with  that  form  floating  in  the  penumbra? 
Oh!  the  smell  of  those  lilies  on  her  casket!" 

Three  months  after,  this  disconsolate  man 
left  for  Paris.  Eugene's  aptitude  and  great 
youth — he  was  not  eleven — gained  him  admit- 
tance to  the  free  classes  of  the  Conservatoire 
de  Musique  after  competing  with  half  a  hun- 


20  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSOo 

dred  violinists,  most  of  whom  could  execute 
greater  difficulties.  The  boy's  soulful  face  in 
which  grief  was  early  imprinted  had  favor- 
ably influenced  the  jury.  He  was  not  what 
might  be  called  a  beautiful  child;  neverthe- 
less, he  impressed  thinking  persons  by  his 
dignified  manners,  his  intellectual  forehead 
and  his  brilliant  eyes  indicating  a  warm  tem- 
prament  and  a  poetic  imagination. 

The  youthful  artist  made  rapid  progress. 
"Diligent  as  gifted,  withal  he  remained  a  young- 
ster. To  see  him  join  so  heartily  in  the  games 
of  other  children,  it  could  not  have  been  in- 
ferred that  wretchedness  surrounded  him.  His 
father's  health  was  failing  visibly.  No  longer 
was  he  able  to  practice  law.  Copying  briefs 
for  other  attorneys  became  his  sole  bread- 
winner :  and  a  meager  one  that  was ! 

The  inexperience  of  youth  has  its  compensa- 
tions :  a  child  scarcely  feels  its  parents'  desti- 
tution. In  the  midst  of  poverty  Eugene's  life 
was  joyous  and  hopeful,  overflowing  with  the 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  21 

exuberance  of  a  lively  mind  and  the  sprightli- 
ness  of  a  nimble  body.  What  was  it  to  him  if 
the  food  and  the  wine  were  of  a  coarser  kind, 
so  long  as  he  conld  drink  when  thirsty  and  eat 
when  hungry !  What  mattered  if  he  had  to 
climb  five  flights  of  stairs :  his  young  legs  felt 
no  fatigue !  Their  garret  might  have  contained 
furniture  more  comfortable  and  elegant,  but  he 
never  thought  of  that.  His  sleep  was  just  as 
sound  as  if  the  mattress  were  softer,  and  his 
plain  wash-basin  held  each  morning  water  as 
pure  as  a  Sevres  could  hold.  He  had  a  violin, 
a  collection  of  music,  and  a  box  of  paints. 
What  more  could  a  healthy  boy  wish  for? 
No  one  had  marred  his  bliss  by  telling  him 
that  the  latest  book  of  studies  cost  his  father 
sixty  hours  of  extra  night  work,  nor  did  he 
realize  that  the  poor  man  no  longer  smoked  in 
order  to  buy  his  son  better  violin  strings. 
When  thinking  of  his  mother  buried  in  the 
south,  this  susceptible  lad  was  melancholy. 
Such  sad  moments,  however,  were  as  rare  as 
short-lived,  because  his  whole  time  was  occu- 


22  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

pied  by  play  and  study;  and  into  these  he 
threw  himself  with  energy.  In  any  manner, 
he  would  have  found  but  a  few  hours  for  intro- 
spection had  he  had  the  necessary  wisdom  for 
that  self-analysis  which  might  oftener  be 
named,  self-torment. 

This  youth  believed  in  himself  and  in  every- 
body else.  Probity,  generosity,  faith,  and 
other  moral  attributes  reach  their  acme  while 
we  are  of  tender  age.  Soon  after — first  and 
saddest  of  disillusions — we  awaken  from  child- 
hood's gilded  dream  to  the  ungracious  reality 
of  man's  selfishness.  If  evil-inclined,  we, 
like  most  others,  take  teeth  for  tooth ;  if  benev- 
olent, we  are  regarded  as  a  target  and  spend 
our  days  trying  to  parry  blows. 

At  this  stage  of  Eugene's  career  all  things 
seemed  to  smile  upon  him ;  and  as  if  to  com- 
plete his  happiness,  the  professor  gave  him  a 
concerto  of  Viotti  to  prepare  for  the  July 
concours.  To  be  admitted  to  this  contest  had 
been  the  height  of  his  ambition,  and  he  leaped 
with  joy  at  the  thought.     But,  like  the  lull 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  23 

that  presages  the  storm,  so  is  that  beatitude 
which,  though  only  for  a  second,  each  of  us 
has  felt  just  before  a  calamity.  A  few  days 
after  the  realization  of  this  great  hope,  his 
father  took  him  upon  his  lap  and  said : 

"I  must  speak  seriously  to  you,  sonny. 
Time  has  come  for  this  sooner  than  I  expected. 
I  had  hoped  to  see  you  a  great  artist  before 
leaving  to  meet  your  saintly  mother.  Don't 
cry,  my  child!"  and  stroking  the  auburn  hair 
of  the  little  one,  who  meanwhile  was  weeping 
in  silence,  he  pursued:  "Practice  hard  and 
carefully  that  you  may  soon  be  able  to  earn 
your  own  living.  Fame,  I  know,  will  event- 
ually come.  Until  that  day,  unfortunately — ' ' 
Here  he  hesitated:  "Until  that  day  you 
must  eat,  and  I  have  nothing  to  leave 
you."  Ashamed  of  his  inability  to  provide 
for  his  offspring,  the  poor  man  let  his  head 
droop  upon  the  chest  and  with  eyes  riveted  to 
the  floor,  muttered  sadly  :  "Nothing,  absolutely 
nothing  to  leave  you.  That  which  your  mother 
and  I  saved,  went  during  her  illness.     Since 


24  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

we  came  to  Paris  I  have  not  been  able  to  eke 
out  enough  for  our  daily  sustenance.  I  have 
been  very  weak  since  dear  mamma  died.  At 
the  free  clinic,  this  noon,  the  doctors  told  me  I 
shall  not  see  another  summer. ' ' 

It  was  without  moisture  in  his  eyes  that  the 
boy  now  listened.  Although  he  was  only 
twelve,  he  had  been  trained  to  grief.  Like  an 
experienced  sufferer,  he  could  repress  the  storm 
of  tears  which  nearly  rent  his  throat.  Quietly 
he  swallowed  the  big  lumps  that  rose  there 
while  his  father  spoke ;  but  this  young  spirit, 
not  knowing  why,  to-day  rebelled  against 
Destiny.  Why  should  he  be  deprived  of  father 
and  mother  so  soon !  He  was  not  jealous  of 
other  children  for  their  cozy  homes  and  fine 
clothes,  but  why  should  their  parents  live  since 
he  had  to  be  an  orphan !  And  through  this 
puerile  logic  he  grew  indignant  at  he  knew  not 
what.  Early  storms  of  this  kind  may  perman- 
ently shake  our  faith  in  Divine  Justice.  Dur- 
ing these  moments  of  anguish  the  boy  vainly 
cried:  "Why  thus?'*  and  the  first  black  drop 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  25 

of  cynicism  blotted  his  naive  soul.  The  expe- 
riences of  youth  are  potent  teachers ;  they  often 
shape  our  whole  character.  Many  dark  deeds 
of  middle  life  have  had  their  germ  sown  dur- 
ing a  murky  childhood. 

Paul  Eoland's  ailment  was  mental  rather 
than  physical.  Days  of  depression  when  he 
would  moan  unceasingly  for  hours,  had  acted 
upon  his  system  like  a  poison.  Through  self - 
hypnotization  he  frequently  saw  Eugenie  and 
spoke  to  her ;  she  seemed  to  utter  words  like 
these : 

"Bear  your  cross  patiently,  for  we  shall  meet 
soon  again.  Tell  our  boy  not  to  love ;  those 
who  do,  suffer  too  much  on  earth. ' ' 

When  coming  out  of  his  trance  he  always 
told  his  son  what  he  had  observed,  and  with 
great  earnestness  added : 

"Yes,  Eugene,  your  mother  is  right:  culti- 
vate indifference,  never  let  your  heart  rule.  I 
know  full  well  that  none  can  escape  sorrows; 
that,  whether  soft-hearted  or  brutal,  helpless 
mortals  shall  ever  be  the  toys  of  unseen,  cruel 


26  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

hands.  But  the  pain  is  so  much  more  intense 
in  those  who  are  tender  that  I  would  warn  you 
never  to  yield  to  unselfish  impulses,  never  to 
love  either  woman  or  man!" 

In  his  ineffable  despair,  when  all  the  bitter- 
ness of  his  past  seemed  to  rush  forth  in  a 
single  instant  of  supreme  crisis  as  if  to  crush 
him,  this  man's  natural  optimism  turned  to  an 
irrational  hatred;  and  with  a  serpent's  hiss 
and  a  demoniacal  flash  in  his  eyes  emphasized 
by  wild  gesticulations,  he  advised  his  son  to 
carry  pessimism  to  crime,  if  need  be.  Like 
a  surly  mad  dog  he  then  snarled  and  growled 
at  the  world,  at  its  Maker,  at  everything !  A 
moment  later,  realizing  the  awfulness  of  his 
precepts,  and  regretting  his  profanity,  a  smile 
would  spread  upon  his  countenance  and,  in  a 
gentle  tone,  he  thus  ended  his  harangue : 

"What's  the  use !  Everything  is  for  the  best, 
after  all.  It  is  because  I  am  ill,  Eugene,  that 
I  could  not  control  myself.  Man  should  not 
get  angry  :  it  is  weakness  to  be  swayed  by  one's 
emotions.    We  should  be  master  of  ourselves. ' ' 


THE  VICIOUS   VIRTUOSO.  27 

At  the  hospital  for  the  poor,  a  fortnight  be- 
fore the  Conservatoire  concours,  this  wretched 
man  returned  his  life  to  the  Great  Source. 

The  terrible  loss  under  circumstances  that 
would  have  been  well-nigh  unbearable  to  an 
adult,  disheartened  a  young  boy.  The  pupil 
neglected  his  musical  studies  and  spent  the 
days  bewailing  his  misfortunes.  When  the 
contest  came  he  was  so  badly  prepared  that  the 
professor  asked  him  not  to  present  himself, 
saying: 

"You  are  excused  for  this  year.  There  is 
no  need  of  worrying;  due  consideration  will 
be  given  to  the  fact  that  you  have  recently  lost 
your  father." 

No  one  at  the  Conservatoire  knew  in  what 
straits  this  orphan  was.  His  father  had  left 
only  debts,  in  payment  of  which  the  household 
goods  were  sold  at  auction.  The  wife  of  the 
janitor,  mixing  a  grain  of  compassion  with  a 
pound  of  practicalness,  gave  him  his  board 
and  clothing  in  exchange  for  services. 

"I  have  nothing  for  you  to  do,"  said  she, 


28  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

"but  if  you  will  make  yourself  generally  use- 
ful, I'll  take  care  of  you  and  let  you  practice 
your  violin  and  attend  your  lessons. ' ' 

The  vague  meaning  of  "generally  useful" 
has  a  special  import  in  the  minds  of  sordid 
employers;  it  usually  means  "generally 
busy."  With  the  sweeping  and  waxing  of 
floors,  the  carrying  of  packages,  and  the  black- 
ing of  tenants'  boots,  Eugene  had  not  sufficient 
time  to  study.  He  was  too  proud  to  speak  of 
his  menial  occupations  to  his  teacher,  and  he 
accepted  the  epithet,  lazy,  without  murmuring. 

The  boy's  musical  career  would  have  ended 
soon  after  entering  the  garlic-smelling  quarters 
of  Madame  la  concibrge,  had  not  a  lucky  star 
appeared  at  this  hour  in  his  firmament. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  29 


m. 

The  first  floor  was  occupied  by  Colonel  Bon, 
Count  of  Danvre,  a  retired  officer  of  the  French 
Army.  This  old  soldier  was  the  embodiment 
of  true  nobility.  His  ancestors  had  handed 
down  to  him  more  than  a  glorious  name. 
There  is  a  legacy  of  fine  feelings  which  may 
augment  from  generation  to  generation.  The 
sentiment,  noblesse  oblige,  had  become  part 
of  his  organism :  an  automatic,  unconscious  act 
— an  instinct.  The  heritage  of  a  new  name, 
of  a  new  estate  is  seldom  embellished  by  so 
exquisite  a  gift.  To  relieve  the  burdens  of 
others  was  the  principal  occupation  of  this 
gentleman;  no  day  passed  that  he  did  not 
delight  some  one  with  a  smile,  a  cheering 
word,  or  a  handful  of  money. 

A  dashing  youth  was  the  count  when,  forty 
years   before,    he   came   out   of   the   military 


30  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

school  of  Saint  Cyr  with  one  epaulet.  Kieh, 
well-bred,  finely  built,  and  possessing  the 
traits  that  win  the  esteem  of  the  old,  the  love 
of  the  young,  and  the  devotion  of  rascals,  the 
lucky  sub-lieutenant  seemed  destined  to  lead  a 
blissful  life.  The  gentleness  of  his  nature, 
however,  caused  this  philanthropist,  this  lover 
of  humanity,  to  suffer  long  before  he  was 
twenty-five.  Yet,  the  deceit  and  brutality  he 
found  about  him,  though  stirring  his  magnani- 
mous spirit  with  indignation,  did  not  shut  his 
heart  to  mankind.  From  these  struggles  he 
had  come  out  either  indifferent  or  full  of 
pity,  never  resentful.  Now,  at  the  age  of 
sixty,  he  was  more  than  ever  ready  to  lend  a 
helping  hand. 

Many  years  ago,  while  he  was  stationed  in 
Eouen,  a  vagrant  was  arrested  for  having  made 
some  charcoal  marks  upon  the  white  facade  of 
his  residence.     The  judge  asked  the  vagabond : 

"Why  did  you  do  this?" 

"You  see,  your  Honor,  we  poor  devils  don't 
always  get  food  where  we  ask  it,  and  when  we 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  31 

do,  well!  we  mark  the  house  so  that  some 
other  hungry  fellow  may  know  where  to  apply. ' ! 

The  culprit  was  given  the  choice  of  paying 
fifty  francs  or  of  going  to  prison.  Fortu- 
nately, as  he  was  beginning  to  explain  his  in- 
ability to  pay,  the  colonel  entered  the  court 
room. 

"Charge  that  fifty  francs  to  me,  judge !" 
shouted  the  veteran  in  stentorian  tones. 
"Man,  take  these  five  louis."  And,  grasping 
the  hand  of  the  amazed  beggar,  he  added  in  a 
voice  trembling  with  emotion:  "During  my 
forty  years'  service  I  have  received  some  marks 
of  praise :  look  at  the  red  ribbon  on  my  coat ! 
But  your  speech  is  better  than  that.  Yes! 
shout  it  to  the  whole  world  that  no  one  need 
pass  my  door  hungry.' ' 

Each  afternoon  precisely  at  four,  Colonel 
Bon  could  be  found  at  his  club  sipping  an 
absinthe,  surrounded  by  chums  who  drew  their 
easy-chairs  near  his  as  instinctively  as  the  sun- 
flower turns  its  petals  toward  the  sun,  for,  to 
all  men  alike  his  big  heart  radiated  invigorat- 


32  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

ing  rays.  Bitter  experiences  had  not  made 
him  a  cynic :  the  world  is  a  mirror  in  which 
one's  own  soul  is  reflected,  and  his  soul  was 
beautiful.  This  tender-hearted  philosopher 
made  it  his  duty  to  remember  the  good  and  to 
forget  the  evil.  Of  course,  immorality  dis- 
guised and  prosperous  excited  his  vehement 
reproof  and  momentary  anger ;  nevertheless,  in 
the  end,  the  criminal,  though  great  his  crime, 
always  enlisted  his  pity,  his  mercy,  and  his 
solicitude.  Trifling  wrongs  done  him,  he  did 
not  so  much  as  notice.  Knowing  that  alone 
angels  were  perfect,  the  colonel  simply  ac- 
cepted man  as  he  is  instead  of  fruitlessly  de- 
ploring he  is  not  as  he  might  be. 

"You  seem  to  have  so  much  faith  in  human 
nature  that,  my  dear  count,  were  I  not  aware 
of  the  fact  that  you  are  experienced,  I  might 
believe  you  have  not  perceived  man  in  his  true 
colors.' *  The  young  officer  who  had  spoken, 
did  so  merely  to  draw  out  one  of  those  striking 
little  speeches,  which  always  edified. 

"My    friend,"    retorted   Colonel    Bon,    "I 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  33 

was  quite  benevolent  during  the  period  in  life 
when  passions  are  strongest.  My  charity, 
through  ignorance,  was  more  than  once  mis- 
placed; and  possibly,  some  harm  resulted. 
Indulgent  parents,  sycophantic  teachers,  and  a 
large  income  caused  me  to  misjudge  the  para- 
sites and  the  scoundrels  who  first  crossed  my 
way.  It  was  only  after  reverses  came  and  actual 
life  revealed  itself  to  me  that  I  learned  to  read 
my  fellows  clearly.  At  the  same  time  I  began 
to  appreciate  their  circumstances;  and  this 
insight  into  environment,  my  dear  lieutenant, 
made  me  forgive  many  sins.  Have  no  fear,  I 
see  man  as  he  is.  I  bear  in  mind,  however, 
that  there  exists  a  large  percentage  of  sincere 
and  generous  persons,  and  that,  among  the 
ones  who  are  bad,  many  owe  their  evil  propen- 
sities to  heredity.  Early  training,  too,  does 
so  much  to  frame  a  man's  code  of  ethics  that 
we  should  mix  science  and  mercy  with  justice. 
When  I  see  crime  proclaimed  in  a  prophetic 
anatomical  conformation  of  the  skull,  should  I 
not  pity?     When  noting  the  manifest  physio- 


34  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

logical  signs  of  idiocy,  cretinism,  imbecility, 
dementia — absence  or  weakness  of  organs  or 
senses,  vicious  conformation  of  the  head, 
facial  asymmetry,  flattening  of  the  ears,  and 
other  unmistakable  marks,  ought  I  not  to 
sympathize?  The  loon  crawls  rather  than 
flies,  yet  it  has  wings  lite  the  eagle.  What  is 
the  reason  one  man  must  steal  and  another 
work :  are  they  not  both  made  to  the  same 
image?  Alas!  neither  can  do  aught  else  than 
follow  the  path  traced  for  each  by  Fate." 
Here  he  lit  a  fresh  cigar.  il  Every  crime  con- 
sists of  the  act  and  the  intention.  No  criminal 
intent  can  be  in  a  man  who  has  not  the  exer- 
cise of  his  moral  faculties.  The  law  should 
not  punish  one  when  disease  has  enervated  his 
intelligence,  disordered  his  reason,  and  de- 
prived him  of  his  free  will.  Ah !  a  fine  phrase 
indeed  is  this  "free  will."  When  confronted 
with  the  all-overpowering  forces  of  birth  and 
experience,  I  ask  myself:  Is  there  such  a 
faculty  even  in  normal  beings?  We  should 
certainly  prevent  the  morally  diseased  from 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  35 

harming  others,  just  as  we  place  those  afflicted 
with  contagious  or  infectious  diseases  in  hos- 
pitals, for  purely  hygienic  reasons:  not  to 
punish  them,  not  to  revenge  ourselves.  The 
question  is:  Can  a  man,  a  weak  mortal,  be 
responsible  for  his  evil  motives,  granting  that 
he  is  sane?  I  doubt  it  for,  aside  from  the 
reasons  I  have  enumerated,  there  might  be  be- 
hind his  motive  a  suggestion  not  of  his  own 
volition  nor  creation  which,  after  all,  was  the 
true,  the  sole,  the  prime  mover  in  his  crime. 
Modern  law  recognizes  the  criminal  irrespon- 
sibility of  the  insane.  I  pray  Heaven  that  a 
nobler,  a  grander  intellectual  vista  may  one 
day  reveal  also  the  irresponsibility  of  the  sane. 
At  any  rate,  how  can  legislators  and  alienists 
draw  the  line  between  sanity  and  mental  alien- 
ation which  does  not  exhibit  physiological  dis- 
turbances? I  believe  that  the  self-appointed 
judges  of  frail  humanity,  be  they  theologians, 
jurists,  or  physicians,  shall  find  many  of  their 
decisions  reversed  before  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  Omniscient  Judge.     My  young  friend, 


36  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

life  Las  been  so  much  sweeter  to  me  through 
philanthropic  endeavors  that  I  wonder  why 
more  men  do  not  practice  charity,  if  from  no 
other  than  a  selfish  motive.  "Where  could 
there  be  more  pleasure  than  in  doing  good?*' 

"I  agree  with  you,  colonel,  but  you  must 
admit  that  indiscriminate  charity  may  be  a 
source  of  evil,  and  that  one  might  exercise 
generous  instincts  unwisely,  thereby  fostering 
laziness  and  pauperism." 

Here  came  an  opportunity  for  gentle  irony, 
and  in  that  art  this  cultured  nobleman  was  a 
past  master. 

"True,  my  young  friend.  Some  years  ago 
I  resolved  to  act  upon  views  such  as  yours.  I 
was  not  going  to  be  imposed  upon  by  unworthy 
beggars.  The  first  occasion  came  sooner  than 
I  expected.  A  ragged  little  girl  had  coaxed 
my  spare  change  by  telling  me,  between 
copious  tears,  'Father  is  sick,  and  mother  at 
home  has  no  bread  for  my  young  brothers  and 
sisters. '  Actuated  by  suspicions  such  as  your 
deductions  should  inspire,  I  followed  the  child. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  37 

No  sooner  had  she  turned  the  corner  than  she 
began  to  sing  and  romp  with  some  children  she 
met.  You  little  hypocrite,  thought  I.  Over- 
taking her,  I  said,  with  some  irritation :  You 
were  crying  a  minute  ago  when  you  spoke  to 
me.  How  do  you  explain  this  sudden  change? 
'Sir,'  answered  she,  'I  am  singing  for  myself, 
sir!  I  was  crying  for  those  at  home.'  I  after- 
ward ascertained  that  she  had  told  the  truth 
about  the  misery  of  her  family.  Your  prac- 
tical suggestion,  lieutenant,  recalls  still  another 
case;  this  time,  however,  it  is  a  powerful 
argument  for  your  side, ' '  assured  he  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye  that  prognosticated  the 
opposite.  "Yes,  I  mean  it.  This  time  I  had 
the  best  of  reasons  for  being  disgusted  with  my 
gullibility.  One  cold  evening  I  saw  a  young 
woman  begging  with  a  babe  under  her  shawl. 
The  sight  of  that  helpless  mother  and  her  child 
would  have  touched  a  harder  heart.  I  gave 
her  some  pennies.  At  that  moment,  a  detec- 
tive jumped  from  behind  a  tree,  and  with  his 
fist   knocked  down   her   little  one.     I  under- 


38  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

stand  your  horror  at  the  mere  recital  of  this. 
I  was  struck  dumb.  Calm  yourself,  though. 
This  child — would  you  ever  believe  it? — this 
child  was  but  a  bundle  of  dirty  rags.  You 
may  imagine  my  feelings  then.  And  this 
woman  seemed  so  simple !  so  sincere !  What 
a  fool  I  had  been!  'Pity  me,  sir!'  she  cried, 
while  frantically  embracing  my  knees.  'Ask 
the  policeman  to  let  me  go  back  to  him,  or 
he'll  surely  die.  I  could  not  take  my  darling 
out  in  this  murderous  air :  he  is  so  sick !  So, 
to  spare  him,  I  thought  I'd  make  a  false  babe 
out  of  those  dish-cloths!'  Ah!  had  you  been 
with  me  in  that  cheerless  hovel,  so  many  poor 
people  call  home,  and  could  yon  have  seen  that 
creature's  child  gasping  in  the  last  stages  of 
pneumonia,  perhaps  you  would  not  care  much 
about  the  risk  of  being  too  charitable.  I  think 
you  might  conclude  it  is  better  to  be  deceived 
ten  times  than  to  repel  one  worthy  poor  man." 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  39 


IV. 


e  c 


Do  you  play  that  instrument,  boy?" 
queried  Colonel  Bon  one  morning  as  Eugene 
passed  his  apartment  with  a  violin  under  the 
arm. 

Through  the  guileless  pro  tray  al  of  his  un- 
happy life,  the  orphan  unveiled  a  soul  sensi- 
tive and  deep.  At  an  age  when  others  were 
occupied  with  frivolous  ideas,  he  was  filled 
with  earnest  aims.  In  an  artless  manner  this 
young  lad  told  his  sorrows  and  his  aspirations. 

"What  do  you  wish  to  do  when  you  are  a 
man?"  asked  the  count. 

This  simple  question  moved  the  embryonic 
artist  to  a  pitch  of  intense  excitement.  His 
ambition  was  so  lofty  that  it  seemed  but 
natural  to  speak  of  it  with  warmth.  His  face 
glowed  with  the  rushing  blood,  and  from  his 
eyes  darted  rays  of  fire — sparks  that  emanate 


40  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

only  from  the  inspired  in  hours  of  profound 
emotion. 

"I  would  like  to  be  Paganini  and  Bee- 
thoven F '  exclaimed  he.  The  colonel  could  not 
repress  a  smile  at  this  childish  answer.  "For 
their  gifts,"  continued  Eugene,  "I  could  die! 
Had  papa  lived  I  would  have  had  time  to  study- 
all  the  while.  Now  I  can  only  expect  to  reach 
mediocrity,  because  I  black  boots  and  do 
errands  when  I  ought  to  practice  and  hear 
music.  If  I  could  study  the  whole  day,  how 
glad  I  would  be !  Mamma  must  be  ashamed 
of  me,  if  she  can  see  from  heaven.  Her  main 
object  was  to  make  a  great  musician  of  her 
son,  and  I  blush  to  think  of  what  he  will 
become." 

No  design  was  behind  these  words :  they 
flowed  straight  from  the  heart.  Though  pre- 
cocious, this  boy  was  too  honest  to  speak  with 
a  hidden  motive,  as  adults  very  often  do.  The 
simple  way  in  which  he  related  his  pitiful 
story  might  have  affected  a  listener  less  re- 
sponsive than  the  colonel.     Eugene's  ingen- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  41 

uous  pathos,  accompanied  by  tearful  eye  and 
heaving  breast — strong  evidences  of  youthful 
sincerity — won  him  that  which  an  artful 
pleader,  however  brilliant,  might  have  lost; 
for  the  sagacious  old  soldier  had  grown  quite 
impervious  to  eloquent  sophistry  through  years 
on  the  bench  of  military  courts. 

His  first  impulse  was  to  take  the  boy  and 
educate  him.  After  a  short  consideration  he 
resolved  to  hear  him  play  before  assuming  so 
important  a  charge. 

"I  ought  not  to  allow  my  instincts  to  wrong 
both  this  child  and  society  by  fostering 
another  musical  nuisance;  too  many  foolish 
parents,  designing  teachers,  and  hypocritical 
acquaintances  contribute  to  that  rank  and  file. 
He  might  be  ambitious  and  still  lack  the 
aptitude  for  achieving  success  in  the  art  he 
leves. '  * 

After  this  reflection  the  count  propped 
himself  up  with  richly  embroidered  pillows, 
lit  his  Turkish  pipe,  reclined  on  his  divan, 
and  asked  Eugene  to  play  something. 


42  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

Upon  a  worthless  small-sized  violin,  and 
with  a  bow  crooked  and  nearly  denuded  of 
hair,  the  dapper  fellow  began  Ernst's  famous 
Elegie. 

This  funereal  poem  opens  with  one  loud 
minor  chord ;  may  be  it  is  the  precursor  of  a 
life  tumultuous  and  dolorous.  The  composer 
must  have  been  deeply  moved  when  an  inner 
voice  first  sang  to  him  this  pathetic  and  fiftul 
melody  which,  mournful  to  the  verge  of  mor- 
bidity, suddenly  thrills  with  love,  with  life, 
with  hope  in  exhilarating  accents,  then, 
resignedly  falls  into  the  clutches  of  death  like 
a  human  being — sinful,  despairing ! 

The  young  violinist's  execution  of  the  open- 
ing recitative  Spohr  wrote  to  this  soul- 
stirring  work  would  have  sufficed  to  prove 
Eugene's  mastery.  His  firm  attack,  exact  in- 
tonation, refined  phrase,  and — rarest  gift  in  a 
prodigy — his  manly  poise,  demonstrated  a  bud- 
ding virtuoso.  Under  the  short  bow  the 
strings  sobbed,  meanwhile,  the  interpretation 
remained  virile   and   dignified,  owing   to   the 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  43 

good  traditions  from  his  mother  and  the  Paris 
School. 

Weak  poets  sometimes  burn  up  with  their 
own  inordinate  heat,  but  the  fire  of  this  youth- 
ful genius  was  kept  within  his  control. 
Whether  the  sentiment  be  heroic  or  tender, 
grandiose  or  simple,  he  expressed  it  with 
nice  taste.  The  reserve  power  needful  to  great 
achievements  existed  there.  The  world  rever- 
ences composure  in  the  face  of  upheavals,  and 
a  tremendous  force  that  can  hide  the  machinery 
generating  it,  is  thereby  enhanced  in  the 
opinion  of  mankind.  This  mercurial  son  of 
Gaul  could  conceal  the  whitening  of  his  soul's 
sinews  when  lifting  ponderous  weights.  In 
addition,  notwithstanding  technical  defects 
that  time  alone  could  remedy,  a  clear,  a  unique, 
a  forceful  individuality  oozed  out  of  his  cheap 
fiddle  as  a  crystalline  spring  from  its  rugged 
cliff. 


44  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


Ten  scholastic  years  have  elapsed  since  Col- 
onel Bon  and  Eugene  Duprez  met.  Upon 
leaving  the  porter's  den,  the  boy  had  found 
not  alone  a  luxurious  home,  he  had  also  been 
blessed  with  a  new  father.  Having  no  blood 
relations,  the  count  centered  all  his  affection 
upon  him  and  watched  his  career  step  by  step 
with  unflagging  interest. 

While  the  protegS  received  a  thorough 
musical  training,  his  general  education  was  not 
neglected,  as  is  the  case  with  most  musicians. 
The  child  had  become  a  polished  man  as  well 
as  an  accomplished  artist,  and  to  a  superficial 
observer  might  now  seem  perfect.  This 
view,  however,  would  be  ill-founded.  Incon- 
sistent as  it  may  appear,  although  the  guardian 
watched  assiduously  the  mental  and  physical 
development,    he   had   wholly    neglected    the 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  45 

spiritual  side  of  his  pupil's  nature.  The  in- 
fluence of  a  good  mother  was  wanting,  and  the 
youth's  moral  unfolding  did  not  keep  pace 
with  the  intellectual  progress.  Like  many 
distinguished  men,  Eugene  grew  more  talented 
than  virtuous.  In  the  biography  of  geniuses 
this  disparity  between  their  special  abilities 
and  their  moral  qualities  seems  to  be  the  rule. 
Providence  does  not  intend  to  allot  perfection 
to  any  one  individual ;  that,  perhaps,  explains 
why  so  many  intellectual  persons  are  vicious. 

As  an  artist  he  pursued  high  ideals. 
Strange  to  relate  of  a  musician,  he  did  not 
envy  colleagues;  but  his  temperament  was  ex- 
tremely moody :  alternately  tender  and  cruel, 
lazy  and  diligent,  philosophical  and  thought- 
less. It  is  a  peculiarity  of  aesthetes  that 
they  must  pass  through  these  conflicting  psy- 
chical states  every  twenty -four  hours;  and 
this  sensitive  being  was  not  exempt  from  that 
law. 

Two  cardinal  vices  overpowered  him :  un- 
truthfulness and  unchastity.     He  did  not  pre- 


46  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

varicatefor  the  mere  pleasure  of  lying,  as  some 
habitual  liars  do.  His  falsehoods,  his  machi- 
nations had  but  a  single  end — woman,  his  all- 
absorbing  passion.  When  hesitating  or  re- 
morseful he  braced  himself  with  the  sophistic 
excuses  natural  to  wrongdoers. 

"After  all,"  would  he  muse,  "if  I  err,  who 
is  blamable  for  my  conduct?  Stupidity  ap- 
plies to  man,  not  to  God.  Did  He  not  foresee 
what  my  temperament  and  training  would  lead 
to?     Why,  then,  did  He  make  me  thus?" 

At  times  his  amorous  schemes  were  worthy 
of  a  Machiavelli.  When  regarding  the  game 
as  worth  his  powder,  he  could  be  cunning, 
tactful,  feelingless.  In  short,  he  was  a  diplo- 
mat and  a  roue.  The  principle,  ' '  Success  is 
not  always  attained  by  the  fairest  means," 
enunciated  by  his  father  in  moments  of  insane 
outbursts,  had  imprinted  itself  upon  his  youth- 
ful and,  therefore,  retentive  memory ;  and  to 
win  the  object  of  a  passing  fancy,  he  unhesi- 
tatingly put  this  precept  into  practice.  A 
mad  father's  theories,  his  own  bitter  early  ex- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  47 

periences,  and  a  mother's  admonition  not  to 
love,  had  moulded  a  malignant  character  in 
one  who,  under  other  influences,  might  have 
become  a  model  citizen.  This  young  man  who 
could  be  gentle  to  the  verge  of  effeminacy,  and 
who,  for  a  week,  mayhap  a  month,  might  be 
filled  with  a  pure  affection  for  a  woman,  would 
abruptly  hush  the  promptings  of  his  better  self 
to  heed  a  voice  from  the  grave  murmuring, 
"Those  who  love  must  suffer.''  Ephemeral 
Abeilard  would  then  snap  his  fingers  at  all  that 
is  holy  and  become  Don  Juan  for  the  hun- 
dredth time.  Passing  strange  was  that  spir- 
itual compound  of  sour  nurture  and  sweet 
nature ! 

To-day,  Eugene  was  a  Bachelor  of  Letters, 
and  a  First  Prize  of  the  Conservatoire.  His 
reputation  as  a  violin  soloist  had  crossed  the 
borders  of  France,  although  he  appeared  sel- 
dom in  public.  The  large  income  of  his  pro- 
tector, with  whom  he  lived  on  terms  of  perfect 
camaraderie,  enabled  him  to  enjoy  an  opulent 
existence   without    contributing   to   its   cost. 


48  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO, 

The  two  were  like  brothers ;  not  as  brothers 
sometimes  are,  but  as  they  should  be.  So  de- 
lightful a  relationship  between  an  old  man  and 
a  young  one  now  and  then  occurs  to  rejuvenate 
age  and  enlighten  youth.  Colonel  Bon  merged 
his  whole  personality,  his  aims  and  whims, 
into  those  of  his  comrade,  who  returned  in 
marks  of  delicate  appreciation  a  sincere  regard 
more  akin  to  respect  than  to  friendship,  for — 
odd  to  say  of  an  emotional  artist — his  nature 
was  cold  in  affairs  of  the  heart. 

Only  that  which  interested  or  benefitted 
Eugene  was  considered  by  his  aged  friend. 
This  is  the  reason  why,  to  extend  his  proteges 
musical  education  the  colonel  decided  to  leave 
sensuous  Paris,  and  his  comfortable  club  and 
cozy  apartments,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  an  invalid.  The  young  musician  desired 
to  travel  not  for  pleasure  alone,  although  that 
was  the  principal  object,  but  also  that  he 
might  add  to  a  culture  already  remarkable  the 
lustrous  polish  attainable  through  careful  ob- 
servation in  many  lands. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  49 

,j'No  book  learning,  "  believed  he,  *  can  be 
complete.  What  do  I  know  of  countries  I  have 
not  visited?  Only  the  views  of  some  writers 
who  were  actuated  by  their  moods,  education, 
and  prejudices,  granting  that  sordid  motives 
or  the  desire  for  fame  did  not  guide  their  pen. 
At  best,  I  have  seen  only  a  dim  photograph  of 
the  originals.     I  should  travel. ' ' 

This  Bachelor  of  Letters  was  also  a  thorough 
student  of  modern  psychology,  and  knew  how 
to  apply  the  power,  the  very  great  power 
called,  Suggestion.  In  order  to  gain  what  he 
wished  from  the  colonel,  which  was  an  invita- 
tion to  visit  the  Orient,  he  began  a  conversa- 
tion from  a  point  apparently  far  removed, 
yet  cunningly  connected  toward  the  end  in 
view. 

"The  higher  conception  of  music,  colonel, 
is  a  closed  book  to  the  majority  of  men,  al- 
though no  language  is  better  adapted  to  tell 
their  joys  and  sorrows.  Harmonies  that 
evoke  an  imagery  sweeter  than  Virgil's,  or 
more  awful  than  Dante's  cause  in  many  human 


50  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

beings  only  a  pleasant  ear-tickling :  the  greater 
number  cannot  behold  these  lofty  dreams. 
There  exists  a  large  proportion  of  mortals  in 
whom  music  ends  where  it  begins ;  in  them, 
air- vibrations  go  no  further  than  the  nervous 
system,  and  die  before  reaching  the  sluggish 
imagination." 

" Don't  you  think  special  culture  may  aug- 
ment man's  sensibility  and  his  power  of  appre- 
ciation?" 

"Most  assuredly.  The  normal  civilized  in- 
dividual, notwithstanding  the  superiority  of 
his  intellect,  could  not  understand  music 
better  than  could  a  savage,  were  that  superior 
organism,  that  Westerner,  wholly  devoid  of 
musical  knowledge;  I  mean,  for  argument's 
sake,  had  he  not  heard  even  a  scale :  because 
it  is  quite  natural  for  a  civilized  man  to  know 
something  of  this  art,  though  he  may  not  have 
taken  lessons.  What  he  hears  in  the  church, 
the  street,  the  theater  trains  him,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  he  may  be  unconscious  of  this 
culture.     It  is   therefore   through  some  model 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  51 

or  precept  that  we  come  to  enjoy  and  judge  the 
more  complex  forms  of  music. ' ' 

"You   say  'enjoy  and    judge' :  is   it  neces- 
sary to  do  both?" 

"Yes,  if  one  intend  to  criticise  music.  In 
this  case,  temperament  is  as  insufficient  as 
learning :  the  two  must  be  combined  in  order  to 
be  able  to  form  a  just  opinion.  The  best  critic 
is  he  who,  in  blood  and  training,  approximates 
closest  to  the  artist;  the  main  distinction 
between  him  and  the  musician  is  that  the  critic 
often  is  a  passive,  instead  of  a  creative, 
artist.  Should  he  be  inferior,  through  birth 
and  schooling  to  the  producer  whose  work  he 
analyzes,  his  criticism  shall  reach  no  higher 
than  his  own  low  standard,  and  consequently 
be  unfair.  By  the  way,  when  our  musicians 
think  they  can  write  Oriental  music  without 
having  traveled  beyond  their  own  shores  they 
delude  themselves,  and  must  appear  ridiculous 
to  the  barbarians  whose  art  they  intend  to 
copy.  At  best,  such  European  compositions 
can  only  be  representations  of  what  the  western 


52  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

mind  has  been  educated  to  call  Asiatic;  and 
as  the  models  for  this  popular  training  were 
factitious,  and  ofttimes  absurdly  false,  so  are 
these  imitations.  To  write  the  music  of  other 
nations  the  composer  should  study  it  at  its 
fountain-head,  among  the  peoples  themselves  : 
breathing  their  air,  eating  their  food,  reading 
their  poets,  and  courting  their  women — in 
brief,  he  ought  to  live  as  they  do.  Then 
might  the  root  of  a  national  art  be  extracted. 
It  is  absurd  to  look  for  the  metaphysical  man- 
ifestation of  a  race  in  a  musical  score.  How 
could  the  multi-colored  states  of  consciousness 
be  sketched  in  black  and  white !  Our  system 
of  notation  is  too  limited  to  enable  us  to  copy 
in  its  completeness  what  we  may  hear  in  dis- 
tant regions.  We  cannot  even  represent  the 
notes  of  some  peoples'  scale.  If  we  try  to 
record  their  musical  alphabet  we  are  at  once 
confounded,  not  possessing  equivalents  for  the 
pitch  of  several  of  their  tones.  How  much 
farther  then  must  we  be  from  the  truth  when 
endeavoring  to  bring  out  the  delicate  shades  of 


THE   VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  53 

timbre,  accents,  and  dynamics  upon  instru- 
ments totally  unlike  theirs !  And  can  we  ever 
grasp  the  daintier  and  more  subtile  de- 
tails: the  subjective  moods,  ethereal  soul- 
nuances  of  races  whose  very  blood  is  of  another 
color?' ' 

"I  quite  agree  that  imitations  of  such  music 
must  be  very  incorrect,  if  the  composer  has  not 
lived  in  the  country  whose  art  he  copies.  Let 
us  suppose,  however,  that  a  good  musician 
should  study  on  the  spot.  Do  you  not  think 
he  might  catch  the  local  spirit,  quite  like  a 
native?' ' 

"I  doubt  it,  yet,  though  he  should  fail  in 
this,  he  might  gain  an  immense  advantage.  By 
studying  a  strange  art  in  a  strange  land,  he 
ought  to  be  inspired  with  novel  themes,  effects, 
and  forms  that  would  prove  appetizing  to  the 
atrophied  palate  of  our  neuropathic  public. ' ' 

"That  being  the  case,  why  not  travel  for 
awhile  out  of  our  homogeneous  Europe  made 
so  tiresomely  uniform  by  our  railways? 
What  do  you  say  about  going  to  Egypt  this 


54  .    THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

winter?  The  climate  is  excellent  there  at  that 
season.  Extensive  travel  will  do  more  than 
widen  your  musical  experience ;  it  is  the  best 
branch  you  could  add  to  your  university 
course.  I  want  you  to  visit  foreign  countries 
to  round  out  your  education.  At  any  rate,  we 
shall  find  it  fascinating  to  taste  new  sensa- 
tions among  queer  tribes,  after  having  felt  the 
pains  and  joys  of  our  own  civilization.  I  re- 
member how  charmed  I  was  when  first  I  went 
to  Algeria,  many  years  before  you  were  born. 
Though  everything  seemed  different,  in  a  short 
time  I  felt  quite  at  home :  it  was  so  restful,  so 
quieting  in  that  placid  atmosphere,  freed  from 
the  restraints  of  our  hypocritical  manners.  The 
sojourn  acted  like  a  sedative  upon  my  weary 
nerves.  I  prolonged  my  residence  to  the  last 
day  of  my  leave  of  absence  and  was  sorry  to 
re-enter  the  vortex  of  Paris  Saturnalia.  I  grew 
quite  fond  of  the  contemplative  life  of  Moham- 
medans. A  trip  to  Africa,  my  dear  Eugene, 
is  a  sort  of  excursion  into  a  past  and  present 
wholly  dissimilar  from  ours,  and  the  impres- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  55 

sion  it  leaves  can  never  be  effaced.  Your  hours 
glide  as  if  you  stood  before  an  immense  kalei- 
doscope into  which  had  been  thown  in  lieu  of 
bits  of  glass  :  Moors,  Arabs,  Greeks,  Maltese, 
Turks,  Jews,  Copts,  and  so  forth  in  character- 
istic costumes,  outdoing  one  another  in  the 
outlandishness  of  the  fantastic  designs  and 
colors. ' ' 

Thus,  as  usual,  the  Power  of  Suggestion  bore 
its  fruit. 


56  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


VI. 


"  I  shall  now  speak  at  greater  length  of  Egypt  as  it 
contains  more  wonders  than  any  other  land,  and  is  pre- 
eminent above  all  the  countries  in  the  world  for  works  one 
can  hardly  describe." — Herodotus  (B.C.  456.) 

The  two  friends  selected  Cairo  as  their  next 
hitching-post,  and  hired  a  dragoman  named 
Said,  an  educated  young  Bedouin  who  spoke 
some  French.  Eugene  liked  this  guide  be- 
cause he  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  interest- 
ing subjects  pertaining  to  Egypt,  and  in  other 
ways  possessed  uncommon  attainments.  The 
reigning  khedive  occasionally  commanded  Said 
to  decipher  obscure  hieroglyphics  and  to  settle 
mooted  questions  of  archceology  and  ethnology 
for  the  renowned  Museum  of  Boulak,  founded 
by  Ismail  Pasha,  a  former  Egyptian  ruler. 

The  musician  admired  the  erudition  of  his 
guide  and,    realizing  that  more   information 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  57 

might  be  got  through  friendly  intercourse 
rather  than  from  the  relation  of  master  and 
servant,  treated  him  with  much  consideration. 

The  Arab  did  not  speak  French  fluently; 
still,  he  could  make  himself  understood  by 
resorting,  when  necessary,  to  the  Arabic 
tongue  with  which  Eugene  had  somewhat  ac- 
quainted himself  during  a  two  months'  trip  up 
the  Nile  in  a  dahabeyeh,  with  only  natives  as 
companions.  The  colonel  was  too  feeble  to 
have  joined  him  in  this  excursion. 

Although  friendship  from  a  Mohammedan 
could  not  be  expected,  the  employer's  tactics 
had  brought  about  a  cordial  understanding 
between  himself  and  dragoman.  To  complete 
the  enchantment  of  the  Bedouin,  Eugene 
addressed  him  one  evening  upon  a  delicate 
subject  in  this  crafty  manner : 

"Our  Christ  is  perhaps  better  suited  to  the 
northern  mood,  but  Mohammed  is  unquestion- 
ably the  ideal  man  for  your  people.  The 
sweet  nature  of  Jesus,  his  abnegation,  his 
purity — these  are  virtues  that  appeal  strongly 


58  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

to  our  races.  An  eternal  bliss  of  spiritual 
communion  with  God  surrounded  by  archangels 
which  my  religion  offers,  is  unsuited  to  your 
fiery  blood.  You  would  be  bored  in  such  a 
heaven,  wouldn't  you?  Well,  so  would  I. 
There  are  only  a  handful  among  Christians 
themselves  whose  soul  can  be  so  totally  di- 
vorced from  the  senses  as  to  rejoice  at  so  tame 
a  prospect.  The  greater  number  of  our  faith- 
ful, I  believe,  might  be  found  among  those  who 
fear  damnation  rather  than  with  the  ones  who 
long  for  this  tasteless  paradise.  I,  for  one, 
could  hardly  look  with  complacency  upon  the 
loss  of  senses  which  give  so  much  pleasure. 
Ah!  but  the  Koran's  heaven!  That  were  joy 
indeed!  To  inhabit  everlastingly  tropical 
groves  where  vines  give  a  shade  so  much 
desired  upon  your  burning  soil ;  where  trees 
incline  before  you,  the  indolent,  offering  their 
succulent  fruits,  while  you  lazily  recline  upon 
heaps  of  roses;  and  where  chalices  of  iced 
beverages  so  eagerly  wished  for  under  your  hot 
sun  are   placed  upon  your  parched  lips   by 


THE  VICIOUS   VIRTUOSO.  59 

young,  healthy,    and   lovely    nymphs,    intoxi- 
cating all  your  fibres,  were  paradise  indeed!" 

Said  listened  suspiciously.  He  was  a  gen- 
uine child  of  nature,  trusting  and  truthful,  but 
to  take  hirn  for  a  simpleton  would  be  an 
egregious  blunder. 

Being  himself  honor  incarnate,  he  could 
hardly  believe  that  the  Franzoui  had  lied  upon 
matters  usually  so  sacred  to  Europeans. 
Eugene  having  observed  this  suspicion  and 
fearing  to  have  displeased,  quickly  added : 

'  'I  suppose  you  think  me  very  different  from 
the  run  of  Christians.  I  cannot  deny  that  I 
am.  Even  concerning  universally  accepted 
notions,  I  hold  views  diametrically  opposed. 
For  example,  I  do  not  believe  Christ  is  the  son 
of  God  any  more  than  you  are.  He  doubtless 
was  a  model  man,  the  very  prototype  of  moral 
goodness  and  beauty,  yet  he  was  only  a  man. 
An  unbiased  history  may  teach  that  Jesus  was 
but  a  rebel  to  the  Koman  dominion,  a  popular 
dissenter  trying  to  Prevent  the  oppressors' 
wrong;  that  his   counsels   were  only  in   part 


60  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

religious,  many  of  his  efforts  having  been 
temporal  and  political;  and  that,  if  he  was 
crucified,  it  was  as  a  dangerous  agitator,  as  a 
sort  of  revolutionist,  rather  than  on  account  of 
his  moral  teachings.  New  dogmas  absolutely 
unknown  to  Christ's  disciples  are  to-day  pro- 
mulgated by  our  church ;  and  this  Messiah,  in 
whose  divinity  the  majority  of  those  who 
knew  him  disbelieved,  she,  centuries  after  his 
death,  calls  God.  To  better  overawe,  enlist, 
and  enslave  Pagan  nations,  the  church  goes  to 
any  length :  she  swallows  their  customs,  be- 
liefs, and  superstitions.  From  Constantino, 
matters  grow  worse ;  a  long  list  of  mysterious 
and  esoteric  practices  contrary  to  the  teachings 
of  Christ  and  the  Apostles  is  introduced :  the 
divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  cult  of  the 
Virgin,  of  the  saints,  of  images,  relics,  and 
shrines,  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  of  the  Trinity,  of 
the  Eucharist,  and  so  forth  ad  nauseam,  con- 
tinuing to  our  enlightened  epoch  until  the 
Infallibility  of  the  Pope  and  the  Immaculate 
Conception  stick  in  the  throat  even  of  an  All- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  61 

swallowing  Faith.  Modern  Christianity  has 
certainly  drawn  more  inspirations  from  the 
councils  of  Nice,  Constantinople,  and  Eome 
than  from  her  great  originator.  I  must  avow 
to  you,  my  dear  fellow,  that,  when  speaking  of 
himself,  Mohammed  appeals  more  forcibly  to 
my  reason  than  does  the  son  of  Mary.  'I  am 
only  the  sent  one,'  says  your  prophet.  'I  am 
a  man  like  you.'  " 

This  logic  reinforced  by  historical  data  more 
or  less  correct,  and  by  quotations  from  his 
consecrated  Koran,  won  the  Egyptian,  who 
thereupon  concluded  that  this  nassara  was*  'too 
intelligent  to  be  faithful  to  so  idiotic  a  creed. " 
From  that  moment  he  regarded  the  Christian 
as  almost  worthy  of  his  respect,  and  he,  who 
heretofore  had  been  taciturn  about  beliefs, 
was  moved  to  remark  in  the  most  earnest 
manner : 

"No  religion  has  grasped  the  greatness  of 
God  as  has  Mohammedanism.  Our  god  is  not 
The  Father ;  still  less  is  he  one  of  the  myriad 
idols  of  Paganism.     Our  god  is  not  the  Jews' 


62  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

Jehovah :  that  revengeful  God  of  battles  and 
frowning  Master  of  enslaved  Israel ;  nor  is  our 
god  part  of  a  Holy  Trinity.  Allah  is  far,  far 
above  such  conceptions.  He  is  the  almighty 
over  humanity,  over  the  world,  over  the  uni- 
verse. He  is  undiscoverable,  indivisible,  in- 
comprehensible. He  neither  speaks  nor  re- 
veals himself.  We  do  not  circumscribe  the 
Divinity  by  affirmative  attributes,  for  if  we 
said  he  is  great,  he  is  good,  he  is  wise,  he  is 
powerful,  would  we  not  qualify  the  Unqualifi- 
able  by  human  standards  ?  What  do  we  know 
about  greatness,  goodness,  wisdom,  power — we 
so  infinitesimal?  All  the  books  on  theology, 
all  the  hymns  of  all  the  sacred  parchments 
should  contain  but  the  words,  La  ilaha  illallah  I 
HE  IS!" 

" Bravo!  beautiful!  beautiful!  If  I  lis- 
tened to  you  much  longer  I  too  should  become 
a  disciple  of  Mohammed.  Do  you  know  that, 
not  alone  do  I  admire  your  religion,  I  also 
find  much  that  is  praiseworthy  in  the  customs 
of  your  race.       There  are  times  I  wish  I  were 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  63 

an  Arab.  Your  girls  are  so  modest ;  they  must 
make  ideal  wives.  I  am  frequently  disgusted 
by  the  boldness  of  our  women ;  they  show  the 
face  and  speak  to  any  man,  and,  occasionally, 
do  not  stop  at  that,  owing  to  the  facility  of 
relations  between  our  sexes. ' ' 

"Do  you  know  what  I  would  do  if  my  sister 
or  my  sweetheart  addressed  a  man  not  of  our 
family?" 

"No,  what  would  you  do?" 

"I  would  stab  her!"  hissed  he  fiercely, 
while  rending  the  air  with  his  poniard  to  em- 
phasize his  threat. 

"It  would  serve  her  right.  If  the  same 
thing  could  be  done  in  my  country,  many 
domestic  troubles  might  be  averted, ' '  sternly 
observed  this  Parisian,  the  last  of  men  who 
could  believe  such  severity  advisable. 

Said  felt  gratified  to  hear  a  foreigner  praise 
Mohammedan  customs. 

"What  would  you  like  to  do  to-morrow?" 
asked  he,  as  he  was  about  to  leave  for  the 
night. 


64  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


it- 


Let  me  think.  Do  you  know  where  I 
could  listen  to  a  real  Arabian  song?  I  mean 
well-rendered,  too.  Are  you  not  acquainted 
with  some  pretty  singer  who  has  been  trained 
in  your  music?" 

After  an  instant's  hesitation,  Said  answered : 

"My  sister  shall  sing  for  you  to-morrow." 

And  placing  his  hand  upon  the  heart  and  then 

the  forehead,  he  bade  the  customary  "  Salam 

aleikum  /' ' 

The  Frenchman  had  not  wasted  his  strata- 
gems. This  Arab  delighted  by  Eugene's  kind- 
ness and  the  soundness  of  his  ethical  views — 
where  is  the  man  who  is  not  charmed  by 
notions  echoing  his  own? — had  granted  a 
privilege  seldom  accorded  a  Christian.  It  is 
exceedingly  rare  in  Mohammedan  countries  to 
bring  into  the  home  a  man  not  of  the  family ; 
for  a  follower  of  Jesus — a  member  of  that  most 
despised  sect — to  be  received  in  this  sanctuary 
was  a  great  homage.  Had  Said  been  rich  under 
no  circumstances  could  that  have  occurred.  But, 
as  in  all  countries  poverty  is  an  obstacle  to  pride 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  65 

and  etiquette  is  seldom  observed  by  the  hungry, 
this  European's  generosity  and  anti-Chris- 
tian opinions  easily  removed  the  traditional 
Oriental  barriers  around  a  humble  hearth. 
There  was  another  reason  also  for  the  drago- 
man's startling  invitation.  Knowing  that  his 
sister  Zuleika  was  fond  of  northern  music,  he 
wished  her  to  hear  the  renowned  violinist  who, 
after  all,  was  to  him  as  nearly  perfect  as  could 
be  one  educated  in  that  abhorred  Christianity. 


66  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


vn. 

A  wondrous  beauty,  though  only  a  child  of 
fifteen,  was  Zuleika,  with  her  small  body  as 
yet  more  developed  below  than  above  the  waist, 
her  slender  form  and  baby -like  hands  and 
feet.  The  poise  of  her  head  and  the  promis- 
ing contour  of  her  neck  would  have  thrilled 
Saint  Anthony.  The  oval  face  of  unmixed 
Arabian  cast  encircled  by  black  luxuriant  hair 
which  fell  loosely  in  undulating  waves  over 
translucent  little  ears,  resembled  a  clear-cut 
cameo  adorned  by  India's  rarest  gems. 
Whether  the  picture  or  its  setting  was  the  love- 
lier, would  have  been  hard  to  tell.  She  had 
big,  dark,  almond,  shining  eyes  over  which 
long  lashes  languidly  drooped ;  her  nose  would 
have  been  Eoman  but  for  a  slight  accentuation 
of  the  nostrils'  curves;  the  mouth,  somewhat 
large,   revealed  glimpses   of  teeth   wide   and 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  67 

sound,  evenly  ranged  behind  vermilion  lips 
thick  enough  to  suggest  sensuousness ;  and  her 
plump  chin  formed  a  delicate  shadow  in  its 
center — the  proverbial  dimple  that,  so  goes  an 
old  saying,  renders  a  girl's  dowry  superfluous. 
Approaching  with  a  step  airy  as  that  of  her 
pet  gazelle,  she  drew  up  the  left  sleeve  to  free 
the  strings  of  her  instrument,  exhibiting  to 
Eugene  an  arm  of  exquisite  moulding;  and,  as 
if  to  complete  his  rapture,  she  blushed,  thus 
adding  to  the  already  ineffable  charm  of  her 
bronze  complexion. 

"  Who  hath  not  proved  how  feebly  words  essay 
To  fix  one  spark  of  Beauty's  heavenly  ray? 
Who  doth  not  feel,  until  his  failing  sight 
Faints  into  dimness  with  his  own  delight, 
His  changing  cheek,  his  sinking  heart  confess 
The  might,  the  majesty  of  Loveliness? 
Such  was  Zuleika," 

at  whose  sight  a   famed  Persian    poet    had 

exclaimed : 

"Gods  of  Form,  Color,  Motion, 
Behold  your  Masterpiece !" 

She  sings  the  Arabian  song,  "Come,  come, 


68  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

my  beloved !" — a  weird  and  wild  melody  minor, 
warm,  monotonous  as  the  sands  of  the  desert, 
while  accompanying  herself  upon  a  two- 
stringed  violin,  the  body  of  which  is  a  cocoa- 
nut  shell.  Neither  her  voice,  in  its  metallic 
color  resembling  that  of  a  Spanish  woman, 
nor  her  peculiar  songs,  can  please  the  highly- 
developed  musical  sensibilities  of  her  auditor. 
For  all  that  he  yet  tries  to  listen,  but  the 
sense  of  sight  paralyzes  the  others.  The  vir- 
tuoso endeavors  to  jot  down  her  tune ;  his  eyes, 
however,  refuse  to  pass  from  that  magnetic 
vision  to  the  music-pad,  and  the  paper  slides 
off  his  knee,  leaving  him  transfixed  in  the  con- 
templation of  this  siren.  His  head  reels. 
The  picture  Eugene  beholds  acts  like  opium 
upon  his  brain,  and,  though  his  eyes  are 
wide  open,  he  dreams.  Everything  about 
him  vanishes  into  air,  into  nothingness,  every- 
thing!— save  that  immature  Cleopatra  with 
whom  in  a  mad  flight  he  floats  beyond  the 
stars.  This  brilliant  Frenchman  of  twenty-two 
had     basked   more   than   once    in    the    sun- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  69 

shine  of  woman's  best  affection,  yet  he 
never  felt  aught  save  the  baser  instincts.  His 
urbane  ways,  well-garnished  mind,  and  musi- 
cal endowments  won  him  many  a  time  that 
celestial  regard,  Platonic  love;  still,  nothing 
of  so  magnanimous  a  passion,  no,  not  even  one 
ray  of  its  light  serene  had  ever  penetrated  his 
own  breast.  Instead  of  that,  a  malevolent 
spirit  always  took  hold  of  him  in  the  presence 
of  chastity,  and,  for  sinister  gratifications, 
this  otherwise  fairly -good  citizen,  as  the  world 
wags,  trampled  upon  the  holiest  objects.  A 
beautifully  wrought  cup  in  which  to  quench 
his  insatiable  thirst — that  was  woman!  Be 
she  yellow,  black,  red,  or  white ;  be  she  fleshy 
or  thin,  statuesque  or  petite,  golden  haired  or 
dark  eyed,  bright  or  dull,  devoted  or  untrue, 
noble  or  plebeian,  was  of  small  moment  if  for 
the  fleeting  hour  she  seemed  delicious.  Like 
the  legendary  hero  immortalized  by  Mozart 
and  Byron,  he,  too,  could  in  his  past  behold  a 
long  and  varied  flock  of  broken-hearted  crea- 
tures : 


70  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

"Montrant  leurs  seins  pendants  et  leurs  robes  ouvertes, 
Des  femmes  se  tordaient  sous  le  noir  firmament 
Et  comme  un  grand  troupeau  de  victimes  offertes 
Derriere  lui  trainaient  un  long  mugissement." 

When  a  girl  deserving  man's  loftier  senti- 
ments appealed  to  his  better  self,  the  other  Me, 
lustful  and  cynical,  sprang  forth  and  dominated. 
Was  he  accursed  for  being  born  out  of  wed- 
lock? Was  it  his  mother's  warning  that  made 
him  unsentimental,  designing,  gross?  What- 
ever be  the  cause,  his  spiritual  ego  evidently 
slumbered,  granting  it  existed. 

Love,  as  this  intellectuel  understood  it,  was 
solely  the  scientist's  prosaic  law:  The  pres- 
ervation of  the  species. 

An  acquaintance  once  asked  him : 
"What  is  the  underlying  principle  of  love?" 
"That  magnetic  force  which  makes  heroes 
of  poltroons  and  scoundrels  of  saints, ' '  replied 
he,  "is  the  irresistible,  although  nearly 
always  unconscious,  instinct  of  reproduction ; 
without  it  the  greatest  calamity  would  fall 
upon  the  earth — the  extinction  of  all  things 
animate.     This  is  the  supreme  law  of  living 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  71 

beings,  and  before  its  tribunal  the  slimy  bac- 
teria and  the  man  of  genius  stand  equal.  One 
grand,  mystic,  ceaseless  wave  sways  creation 
— Creation,  that  boundless  cauldron  into  which 
generations  of  all  sorts  are  eternally  forming. 
Upon  this  planet,  at  each  instant,  some  loath- 
some invertebrate  sends  forth  a  transparent 
chrysalis  upon  wings  of  amethyst  and  gold, 
and  an  adolescent  thrills  at  the  sight  of  a 
flower  his  inamorata  gave ;  while,  perhaps,  at 
that  same  moment,  at  the  risk  of  his  ignomin- 
ious life,  some  soulless  ravisher,  instigated  by 
anthropophagous  fathers,  pounces  upon  a  de- 
fenceless woman.  Synchronously  appear 
doves  and  vultures;  simultaneously  and 
through  a  similar  process  are  born  Neros  and 
Virginias,  though  no  human  eye  may  compass 
the  abyss  separating  their  souls.  My  vision 
certainly  fails  to  measure  that  psychical  chasm, 
yet  it  forcibly  apprehends  the  identicalness  of 
the  physical  bases  underlying  those  human 
bodies.  Unlike  as  the  crawling  gnat  and  the 
swift  giraffe  may  be  the  spiritual  laws  govern- 


72  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

ing  two  mortals.  I  suppose  the  gnat  typifies 
my  principles." 

Such  views  were  not  apt  to  enlist  many 
friends ;  the  majority  hardly  allow  science  on 
this  all-dominating  subject  to  carry  them  so 
far  from  the  domain  of  poetic  sentiments. 
Consequently,  Eugene  was  regarded  as  a  most 
eccentric  fellow,  if  nothing  worse. 

Upon  other  questions,  his  heart  was  con- 
ceded to  be  in  the  right  place.  For  instance, 
though  callous  and  scheming  in  love  affairs, 
he  was  severely  correct  in  matters  of  friend- 
ship— an  anomaly  peculiarly  masculine. 

In  the  presence  of  Zuleika  he  now  felt  a 
nascent  tenderness,  an  indescribable  something 
each  mortal  has  experienced  at  least  once  in  a 
lifetime,  usually  during  his  teens.  The  en- 
chantress threw  a  spell  over  this  hitherto  in- 
vulnerable Frenchman,  and  he  revelled  in  the 
novel  snare,  in  the  intangible  love-woven  net 
that  momentarily  imprisoned  him.  Fortu- 
nately, a  guardian  angel  in  the  garb  of  Friend- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  73 

ship  came  at  this  dangerous  pass  to  dispel  the 
enchantment. 

"I  am  sorry  that  girl's  brother  is  such  a  fine 
chap,"  mused  Eugene.  "If  there  is  any  truth 
in  the  theory  of  souls'  affinity,  my  soul  has 
found  its  mate.  Were  not  Said  so  kind  to  me, 
I  would  move  heaven  and  earth  to  possess  this 
celestial  fairy. ' ' 

Immediately  after  playing  the  violin  solo 
promised  the  night  before  to  his  dragoman,  he 
locked  up  his  violin  box,  saying : 

"Let  me  thank  you  and  your  sister  for  her 
interesting  music.  I  must  hasten  to  the  col- 
onel.    Good-by!" 

Conscious  of  having  done  well  by  ending 
abruptly  an  interview  he  would  have  prolonged 
had  he  obeyed  his  lower  impulses,  and  with 
the  resolution  to  dissipate  all  thought  of  the 
little  Arab,  the  Franzoui — drove  away  in  his 
victoria,  unwittingly  taking  along  the  peace  of 
this  white-domed  dwelling. 

Did  some  good  angel  whisper  into  the  young 
woman's  ear,  "Forget  this  man!     Though  you 


74  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

think  him  the  best  that  lives,  he  is  not  what 
he  seems  to  an  ignorant  lass ;  he  is  unworthy 
of  you,  and  if  you  persist  in  your  foolish  hope 
to  win  his  affection,  an  everlasting  crown  of 
thorns  shall  fill  your  eyes  with  blood  and 
tears ! ' ' 

If  such  a  voice  spoke,  she  did  not  heed  it. 
Mysterious  and  awful  auto -mesmerism!  this 
belief  that  we  are  fascinated  and  cannot  escape 
our  self-created  Mesmer. 

However  young,  however  inexperienced  be  a 
woman,  she  has  a  wonderful  intuition  in  heart 
problems.  Although  totally  unacquainted  with 
the  ways  of  the  world,  Zuleika  knew  that 
lovers  cannot  escape  sorrow,  though  their 
affection  be  profound  and  mutual;  she  was 
aware  also  that  the  spoiled  child  of  Parisi- 
ennes  might  soon  tire  of  a  little  barbarian,  no 
matter  how  sweet  and  thoughtful  she  be ;  yet 
she  was  willing  to  risk  everything  for  his  love 
— happiness,  honor,  health,  life,  eternal  rest. 

That  night  is  her  first  sleepless  one.  Her 
eyes  are  closed,  but  she  is  awake  listening  to 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  75 

an  occult  violin  whose  sylph-like  harmonics 
reverberate  again  and  again  from  the  walls  of 
her  bed-chamber;  now,  softly  as  the  buzzing 
of  an  insect,  then  gently  creeping  into  her  ear 
and  insensibly  swelling  to  a  climax  of  blaring 
trumpet-sounds  vast  as  the  Mosque  of 
Mehemet-Ali. 

In  this  subjective  mood,  intensified  by  her 
nervous,  semi-hysterical  temperament,  the 
player's  features  slowly  emerge  from  a  milky 
cloud  to  impress  a  burning  kiss  upon  passive 
virgin  lips. 

Her  first  impulse  when  arising  is  to  tell  her 
dream  to  the  old  servant,  Uarda,  as  she  is 
wont  to  do.  Upon  second  thought  she  hesi- 
tates. 

"It  was  not  a  dream,  anyway.  What  would 
Uarda  think  of  such  silly  imaginings.  She 
would  surely  advise  me  not  to  mention  again 
the  name  of  one  so  despised  by  Mohammed." 

The  outpourings  of  a  heart  Cupid  enters 
for  the  first  time  can  no  more  be  stemmed 
than  the   ebb   and  flow  of  the   ocean.     When 


76  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

there  is  nothing  better  at  hand,  it  is  a  poodle 
or  a  kitten  that  is  told  of  the  heart's  first  tem- 
pest; may  be  it  is  a  Marguerite  which  hears, 
while  its  silken  petals  fall,  "He  loves  me,  he 
loves  me  not."  Zuleika  had  no  mother  to 
whom  she  might  outpour  her  tender  effusions ; 
her  father,  too,  was  dead.  In  any  manner,  she 
would  have  kept  her  secret  from  both.  Chil- 
dren speak  to  parents  upon  such  matters  only 
at  last  resort :  a  schoolmate,  a  servant,  even  a 
stranger  is  oftener  the  first  discoverer  of 
that  beauteous  bud  on  the  stem  of  a  soul. 

While  combing  her  mistress'  hair  Uarda 
noticed  an  expression  of  lassitude  in  her  eyes. 

"Are  you  ill?  You  look  quite  fatigued, 
my  child." 

"No,  Uarda,  thanks.     I  am  very  well." 

"Why,  then,  do  you  seem  so  bewildered? 
Have  you  not  slept  soundly?  Do  tell  me. 
Do  not  hide  it  from  me :  you  have  cried,  I  can 
tell  it  from  the  redness  of  your  eyes.  What 
is  troubling  my  dear  babe?" 

Here  the  flow  of  emotions  could  no  longer  be 


THE   VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  77 

checked,  and  between  sobs,  the  girl  recited  her 
night  and  day  dreams,  whence,  alas !  she  was 
doomed  to  awaken  only  in  death. 

"I  would  give  my  life  for  him,  Uarda!" 
"Dear,  deluded  lamb!  Are  you  not  aware 
that  impassable  obstacles  separate  you?  He  is 
rich,  you  have  nothing.  On  account  of  your 
good  looks  this  might  be  overlooked  by  a 
Franzoui:  I  don't  know  what  are  the  customs 
of  his  land. ' '  (She  evidently  did  not  for,  in 
France,  without  dowry,  even  a  belle  finds  it 
difficult  to  marry  above  her  pecuniary  rank. ) 
"What  I  do  know,  however,  is  that  your 
brother  would  not  let  you  marry  a  Christian. 
Don't  cry,  my  doll,  my  dearest!  Most  likely 
this  man  has  forgotten  you  before  this.  You 
should  do  the  same.  How  babyish  to  poison 
your  days  with  such  thoughts!" 

The  diminutive  harim  had  wiped  away  her 
tears  and  stood  silent,  motionless,  with  her 
small  fists  clinched,  her  lips  tightly  drawn  to- 
gether, and  her  long  lashes  veiling  semi-closed 
pupils  that  aimed  straight  at  the  curled  sharp 


78  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

tips  of  her  dainty  red  sandals — an  evil-fore- 
boding attitude  the  old  servant  observed  with 
anguish,  knowing  its  ominous  significance. 

Uarda,  being  like  a  mother  to  Zuleika,  hav- 
ing cared  for  her  since  the  cradle,  felt  a 
mother's  grief  at  this  unwise  determination. 

"Oh!  what  shall  I  do  to  save  you  from  this 
terrible  fate?  If  I  were  your  mother,  instead 
of  your  poor  old  nurse,  I  would  flog  you  to 
alter  your  mad  purpose.  My  darling,  for 
heaven's  sake,  don't  tell  Said!  You  don't 
know  what  he  might  do  to  a  filthy  Christian 
dog!" 

"I  don't  care,"  shouted  the  now  enraged 
girl.  "I  shall  tell  him,  and  I'll  give  him  the 
choice  between  Zuleika  dead,  or  Zuleika  the 
wife,  yes,  if  need  be,  the  mistress  of  that 
Christian  dog!" 

Sparks  of  fire  darted  from  dazzling  orbits 
freed  from  their  lids,  giving  her  face  a  fero- 
cious mien,  and  Uarda,  terrified,  unable  to  say 
another  word,  wept. 

This    young  woman,    though   admirable   in 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  79 

many  respects,  was,  as  has  just  been  exempli- 
fied, far  from  perfect.  Though  she  usually 
was  gentle  as  a  child  and  simple  of  manner 
as  one  unconscious  of  attractiveness, 
now  and  then,  her  one  overmastering  vice — 
an  uncontrollable  will  —  gained  complete 
victory  over  a  modest,  quiet,  and  tender 
nature.  Circumstances  had  helped  to  develop 
this  abnormal  faculty  since  she  was  old  enough 
to  manifest  a  wish.  From  her  nursery  days 
Zuleika  had  commanded,  and  those  around 
obeyed.  As  a  mere  tot,  if  she  would  have  a 
toy  it  had  to  be  brought,  otherwise  she  refused 
to  eat.  This  spirit  of  domination  gradually 
became  a  law  to  her  family,  who  tolerated  it 
as  a  childish  whim,  largely  on  account  of  the 
fact  that  it  had  never  been  exercised  for  serious 
purposes. 

The  will  depends  neither  upon  moral  nor 
immoral  qualities.  It  is  a  distinct  state  of 
consciousness  which  may  exist  in  the  best  as 
well  as  the  worst  of  men.  Nor  is  it  akin  to 
courage  or  intellect.     Said  was  wise  and  fear- 


80  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

less;  of  the  two,  he  had  the  superior  char- 
acter, yet  he  yielded  to  the  stronger  will  of  his 
sister.  Her  parents  having  concluded  from 
the  dawn  of  life  that  it  was  impossible  to  cure 
their  daughter  of  this  obduracy,  indulged  her 
in  it.  In  that  they  erred :  a  special  education 
could  have  weakened  this  natural  tendency. 
''Who  loves  well  chastises,"  says  an  old  prov- 
erb. Zuleika's  parents  had  loved  unwisely. 
The  unrestrained  will  of  a  capricious  child  un- 
folded more  and  more  rigid,  and  the  reed  that 
might  have  bent  as  a  garland  of  wheat  grew 
into  a  gnarled  twig  of  steel. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  81 


vm. 

One  afternoon,  a  few  days  later,  Eugene  and 
his  guide  were  sipping  tiny  cups  of  mocha  in 
the  Ezbekieh  Gardens  while  listening  to  the 
atrocious  wailings  of  the  khedive's  band, 
which,  to  Arab  ears,  passes  for  Western  music. 

"What  shall  we  do  to-morrow,  Said?  I 
have  seen  practically  everything  worth  visiting 
in  and  around  Cairo.  Could  you  not  suggest 
some  new  trip?  I  am  tired  of  the  beaten 
track  of  travelers. ' ' 

For  a  few  seconds  the  dragoman  was  plunged 
in  a  deep  reverie.  At  this  instant  violent 
feelings  agitated  his  soul,  but  his  fatalistic 
religion  having  early  taught  him  to  repress 
outward  manifestations,  he  remained  impas- 
sive. Little  did  Eugene  infer  that  his  appar- 
ently  calm   companion   was   debating  within 


82  THE   VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

himself:  " Shall  I  disembowel  that  cur,  or 
shall  I  make  him  happy  and  famous?"  In 
any  manner,  had  the  musician  heard  this  tacit 
query,  he  could  not  have  unfathomed  its  cause, 
for  he  could  not  know  that,  only  an  hour 
before,  Zuleika  had  told  her  passion  to  Said, 
who  now  hesitated  to  obey  the  command, 
"Make  him  love  me!" 

Brotherly  tenderness  finally  conquered  his 
hatred  and  he  decided  to  gratify  her  mad  desire. 
Martyrdom  does  not  always  consist  in  bodily 
tortures  nor  in  death.  This  Mohammedan's 
self-abnegation  and  renunciation  of  racial, 
moral,  and  religious  principles  to  please  an 
adored  sister,  was  as  heroic  as  the  suffering  of 
many  a  martyr. 

The  silence  had  lengthened  oppressively. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  ejaculated  the  em- 
ployer, slightly  annoyed. 

"Oh!  pardon  me.  I  wanted  to  reflect  a 
little  before  deciding."  Surveying  the  neigh- 
boring tables  to  ascertain  they  were  far  enough 
away,  and   to   make  doubly  sure  that  his  re- 


THE  VICIOUS   VIRTUOSO.  83 

marks  would  not  be  overheard,  he  drew  his 
chair  close  to  the  Frenchman's.  With  a  mys- 
tifying air,  and  in  a  voice  low  and  persuasive, 
he  continued : 

"Do  you  know  that  I  have  formed  a  peculiar 
attachment  for  you?  I  believe  I  could  do 
anything  in  your  behalf.  You  certainly  are 
too  bright  to  believe  this  nonsense  without 
proofs.  Well!  I  intend  to  give  you  an  unequi- 
vocal guarantee  of  my  friendship. M 

Journeying  up  the  Nile,  Eugene  had  had 
ample  opportunity  to  appreciate  his  drago- 
man's intellect.  To  reconcile  this  unexpected 
gush  with  the  inflexible  prejudices  of  a 
learned  Oriental  might  be  difficult  to  an  Euro- 
pean nincompoop ;  to  this  clever  Parisian  it 
was  impossible.  He  simply  nodded  his 
thanks,  while  Said  went  on : 

"To  prove  to  you  the  extent  of  my  regard,  I 
am  going  to  give  you  the  fruit  of  my  life's 
researches.  I  shall  show  you  what  no  other 
living  man  has  seen.  I'll  open  a  concealed 
portal  in  the   Cheop's  Pyramid   leading    to    a 


84  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

hall  never  entered  since  that  famous  tomb  was 
built.  If  any  mortal  has  gone  there,  he  did 
not  divulge  the  fact,  for  there  exists  no  known 
record  of  this  vast  chamber.  Though  I  have 
not  yet  visited  it,  I  am  positive  I  shall  find  it 
by  the  aid  of  directions  I  discovered  in  the 
Necropolis  of  Sakkara.  Through  inscriptions 
in  one  of  the  granite  coffins  of  the  sacred  bulls, 
I  deciphered  almost  by  accident  the  way  to 
this  unknown  hall.  I  also  read  that  its  walls 
are  covered  with  figures  of  material  objects 
from  every  sphere  of  nature  and  art,  together 
with  mystical  and  mathematical  symbols. 
Owls,  snails,  hexagons,  rhomboids,  triangles, 
axes,  squares,  elephants,  birds,  bulls,  faces  of 
gods,  goddesses,  and  emperors,  and  stranger 
signs  are  written  in  granite,  as  in  the  sarco- 
phagus of  Sakkara.  This  particular  monu- 
mental writing  has  not  come  to  the  notice  of 
another  Egyptologist;  no  man  save  Said  can 
unravel  its  meaning.  It  has  taken  me  ten 
years  of  study  and  practice  to  get  a  correct 
interpretation    of    these    rare   hieroglyphics, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  85 

though  trained  from  childhood  in  the  science 
of  sacred  characters  and  Egyptology.  These 
writings,  khawageh,  are  unlike  anything 
ever  grasped  by  our  greatest  historian,  be  he 
Herodotus  or  Lepsius.  The  marks  I'll  trans- 
late to  you  are  based  upon  an  alphabetical 
system,  while  all  the  ancient  signs  known  were 
founded  upon  two  other  systems  which,  though 
differing,  were  yet  connected :  the  ideographic 
which,  by  the  introduction  of  familiar  sym- 
bols sought  to  express  thoughts  and  events ; 
and  the  phonetic,  representing  words  by  sym- 
bols and  their  sounds.  If  the  principles  I 
learned  in  Sakkara  do  not  mislead, ' '  pursued 
Said,  now  thoroughly  excited,  "I  shall  read 
you  a  wonderful  historical  record,  a  narrative 
beginning  back  of  the  Pagan  period  of  Egyptian 
history,  before  which  not  even  a  legend  has 
reached  us.  Behind  the  seventy  centuries  of 
uninterrupted  annals,  I'll  recite  new  and  mar- 
velous facts  from  indubitable  evidence.  His- 
torians, as  you  know,  stop  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Pharaonic  antiquity,  when  Egypt, 


86  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

the  ancestor  of  nations,  seems  to  rise  as  at  the 
origin  of  all  time  from  the  depths  of  an  eternal 
night ;  but  I  shall  start  long  before  that  era  of 
the  world's  history.  Antedating  all  biblical 
documents,  Said  will  even  precede  by  a  my- 
riad years  the  reign  of  the  first  Pharaoh, 
Menes.  What  a  wondrous  parchment  roll  the 
future  chronicler  shall  then  unfold !  Starting 
when  the  Komans  and  the  Greeks  were  hordes 
of  cannibals  more  kindred  to  the  orang-outang 
than  to  the  present  man,  and  when  the  Western 
world  was  not  even  a  dream,  he  will  translate 
the  indelible  signs  carved  in  those  granite 
walls,  telling  the  birth,  rise,  and  fall  of  a  great 
nation  now  wholly  extinct  which  dwelled  in 
this  same  privileged  land  of  Egypt  whose  terri- 
tory nourishes  an  obedient  race,  and  the  fer- 
tility of  whose  soil  is  proverbial  as  the  softness 
of  its  clime  and  the  virtue  of  its  women.  This 
narrator  of  the  world's  unbroken  annals  will 
then  be  able  to  connect  the  beginnings  of  all 
human  activity  to  the  Pagan,  Christian,  Mus- 
sulman,   and  contemporaneous    periodsc     He 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  87 

will  find  the  origin  of  the  Cheops'  dynasty  and 
the  motives  that  led  to  the  building  of  those 
fabulous  pyramids  modern  art  cannot  equal. 
From  the  Pharaohs  he  will  proceed  to  the  vicis- 
situdes of  this  nation  under  the  cruel,  though 
now  lettered,  sons  of  Eome  and  Athens,  and 
he  will  record  the  philosophical  researches  of 
the  various  sects  in  Alexandria  who  started  the 
grand  intellectual  movement  whence  issued  our 
modern  world  from  a  chaos  of  human  fallacies. 
At  this  stage,  the  annalist  will  reach  the  mid- 
dle ages  with  their  inimitable  Arabic  art  creat- 
ing indescribable  marvels.  Later,  the  Cru- 
saders and  their  useless  butcheries  will  come 
upon  the  scene,  soon  to  be  followed  by  that 
inordinately  selfish  Corsican  who'll  say  to  his 
hypnotized  French  hounds:  ' Soldiers!  From 
these  pyramids  forty  centuries  of  glory  look 
down  upon  you!' 

Lastly,  reaching  down  to  our  own 
day,  the  undeservedly  famous  engineer  will 
carry  off  some  sand  to  reopen  an  ancient  way 
to  the  Ked  Sea  for  the  floating  piratical  cities 


88  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

propelled  by  steam  and  bound  for  the  looting 
of  India  and  China. ' ' 

These  words  were  accompanied  with  fitting 
gestures  and  an  impressive  facial  expression. 
Said's  voice  had  grown  louder,  and  big  drops 
of  perspiration  trickled  down  his  bronzed  fore- 
head. At  the  end  of  the  speech,  his  tone  re- 
gained its  natural  suavity,  and  he  added, 
almost  imploringly : 

"I  am  a  humble  Bedouin;  you  are  famous 
and  wealthy.  I  dwell  in  a  country  which 
hardly  values  intellectual  efforts ;  you,  on  the 
other  hand,  reside  in  Paris,  in  that  capital  of 
the  peoples  where  great  deeds  are  prized  and 
whence  throughout  the  earth  resounds  their 
doer's  name.  Aside  from  the  satisfaction  of 
vanity,  this  discovery,  at  best,  can  only  be  of 
small  use  to  me.  To  you,  it  means  more  ad- 
miration, more  renown,  more  riches  and  power, 
for  it  shall  proclaim  you  the  earth's  leading 
historian.  In  brief,  I  want  you  to  claim  my 
knowledge  as  your  own." 

Eugene,  who  had   followed  him  closely,  at 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  89 

this  moment  felt  certain  of  having  discovered 
the  wily  spring  of  this  apparently  generous 
proffer. 

"If  you  do  this,  Sai'd,  and  let  me  claim  the 
find  exclusively,  I'll  give  you  ten  thousand 
francs. '  ■ 

"You  have  misunderstood  me,  kliaivageh," 
sharply  retorted  the  dragoman  with  a  haughty 
and  disdainful  glance,  which,  quick  as  a  flash, 
changed  to  an  expression  of  kindliness  so  as 
not  to  defeat  his  own  strange  device.  "Al- 
though I  am  poor,  money  is  not  everything  to 
me.  I  told  you  I  liked  you,  and  said  I  would 
prove  it.  I  shall  do  as  I  promised,  but,  I  beg 
of  you,  Ichawageh,  never  again  to  wound  me 
with  offers  of  money.' ' 


90  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


IX. 

The  road  leading  to  the  Pyramids  is  shaded 
at  various  places  by  tall  mimosas  and  follows  the 
Nile's  banks,  which  here  and  there  are  dotted 
with  palm  forests  and  gray  villages.  On  one 
side  lies  the  Hassouan  desert,  behind  ascend 
Cairo's  graceful  minarets,  and  in  the  hazy 
perspective  ahead  the  awe-inspiring  outlines  of 
the  mighty  Pharaoh's  tombs  are  solemnly 
sketched  upon  a  sublime  canvas  of  opal 
stretched  over  the  horizon. 

As  Phoebus  descends  beyond  the  Mokattam 
hills,  the  skies  invest  an  aspect  of  unspeakable 
glory,  and  the  soul  successively  receives  impres- 
sions of  surprise,  admiration,  beatitude. 
From  deep  red  the  coloring  imperceptibly  mod- 
ulates to  a  transparent  golden  yellow  and 
melts  into  a  subdued  violet  hue;  then  the 
whole  background  swiftly  becomes  a  boundless 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  9i 

canopy  of  deep  blue  spangled  with  diamonds 
of  amazing  purity.  The  contemplation  at 
twilight  of  this  tropical  firmament  with  its 
billions  of  stars,  suns,  planets,  comets,  meteors, 
aerolites — visible  atoms  of  invisible  infinitude ! 
— with  its  sextillions  of  worlds  scattered  by  the 
All-creating  Hand  into  limitless  space  and 
time,  yet,  vibrating  eternally  with  perfect  har- 
mony, would  make  an  atheist  prostrate  himself 
into  the  dust,  confessing  that  such  heavens 
proclaim  God's  majesty! 

Upon  the  sharp  rib  of  the  mountains  sur- 
rounding the  Beneficent  Kiver,  flitting  shad- 
ows of  camels,  dogs,  and  Mussulmans  move 
to  and  fro  as  in  a  magic  lantern ;  and,  as  if 
the  phantasmagoria  were  not  lively  enough, 
two  riders,  following  the  water's  edge,  advance 
swiftly  toward  El-Gizeh — the  good  station — a 
village  which  gave  its  name  to  the  tallest 
pyramid,  chief  monument  of  ancient  Mem- 
phis. A  large  white  woolen  cloak  that  nearly 
reaches  the  ground,  and  two  piercing  black 
eyes   crowned  with   a  bright  red   fez  partly 


92  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

hidden  by  a  many-tasseled  and  multicolored 
silken  kuffiyeh,  can  be  seen  over  the  first 
pony;  upon  the  other  sits  a  young  man  in  top 
boots,  riding  trowsers,  flannel  shirt,  and  Scotch 
cap.  The  luggage  of  these  travelers  is  tied  to 
the  saddle  under  the  wide  burnous  of  the  first 
horseman,  and  consists  solely  of  some  sharp- 
ened pencils,  a  pad  of  writing  paper,  and  a 
portable  lamp. 

The  women  of  a  Bedouin's  family  are  never 
the  theme  of  conversation  among  men  un- 
related, everything  pertaining  to  them  being 
sedulously  kept,  particularly  from  Europeans. 
Said,  the  rider  in  white,  could  not  resist  the 
desire  to  depart  from  this  time-honored  usage, 
so  fearful  was  he  that  his  sister's  hope  and 
his  own  sacrifice  might  be  in  vain.  His  strat- 
agem was  to  secure  the  gratitude,  and  as  a 
consequence,  the  friendship,  of  this  French- 
man. "After  that,"  believed  he,  "it  will  be 
very  easy  to  influence  him  in  Zuleika's  behalf. 
She  is  so  beautiful  that  my  task  will  be  made 
quite  simple,   and  eventually   this   Christian 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  93 

shall  become  my  brother-in-law.  May  Allah 
forgive!" 

As  the  evening  wore  on,  faith  in  the  prac- 
ticalness of  his  scheme  diminished. 

" Suppose,"  thought  he,  "this  man  has 
found  nothing  attractive  in  my  sister :  how  on 
earth  can  any  amount  of  regard  for  me  cause 
him  to  care  for  her !  I  ought  not  to  waste  my 
energies  any  farther  in  this  hypocritical  con- 
duct. I  must  find  out  at  once  what  he  thinks 
of  Zuleika." 

Carefully  as  a  snail  that  thrusts  out 
its  antennae,  after  having  withdrawn  them 
at  the  touch  of  some  disagreeable  object,  he 
broke  the  long  silence  with :  "What  do  you 
think  of  our  music?" 

"I  prefer  not  to  express  my  opinion  about 
your  music,  Said.  "Were  I  in  my  own  country 
where  I  could  speak  freely  of  women,  I  might 
have  much  to  say  concerning  one  of  your 
singers." 

"Go  ahead,  hhawageh.  You  are  so  con- 
siderate of    our   customs    and    people   that   I 


94  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

almost  feel  as  if  you  were  a  member  of  my  own 
family.' ' 

Eugene  hesitated  to  foster  intimate  relations 
with  a  servant,  however  worthy.  He  knew  that 
disinterested  friendship  was  rare  everywhere, 
and  particularly  in  the  East.  Cupidity 
seemed  to  lurk  from  behind  all  protestations  of 
disinterestedness.  Mercenary  designs  had  been 
so  craftily  devised  by  knights  of  the  carpet 
he  had  met  that,  notwithstanding  Said's  rejec- 
tion of  money,  he  remained  as  unconvinced  as 
puzzled  about  his  dragoman's  motives.  At  the 
same  time,  feeling  quite  certain  that  much 
latitude  would  be  allowed  his  profane  views, 
and  knowing  full  well  that  he  was  able  to  take 
care  of  himself  should  the  Arab  become  too 
familiar,  he  remarked : 

"Your  melodies  are  too  monotonous,  and 
your  instruments  too  primitive  to  please  my 
ear;  yet,  I  do  not  recollect  having  been  moved 
more  deeply  than  by  your  sister's  song.  I 
have  heard  that  voice  unceasingly  since  I  left 
your  house. ' '     Spurring  the  horse  to  his  com- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  95 

panion's  side,  he  looked  inquiringly  into  his 
glowing  eyes — the  windows  of  the  soul — and, 
in  a  voice  full  of  sincere  fervor,  while  a  happy 
smile  hovered  about  his  mouth,  he  pursued : 
"If  there  is  any  truth  in  telepathy,  she  is 
singing  to  me  at  this  very  instant.  Do  you 
not  hear,  'Come,  come,  my  beloved!'  ' Hoi, 
hoi,  yd  hdbibi!9  Wait,  friend,  listen!"  A 
jerk  upon  the  reins  brought  both  horses  to  a 
dead  stop.  ' '  Do  you  not  distinguish  sobs  too  ? 
Why  should  she  be  crying,  tell  me,  Said?" 

The  sturdy  son  of  the  desert  stood  petrified. 
His  parched  throat  could  not  utter  a  sound. 
No  tear  was  in  his  eye :  does  the  volcano  send 
forth  water?  Blood  thick  and  hot  flowed 
down  the  left  side  of  his  chin  from  the  lip  he 
locked  in  his  glistening  teeth.  Humiliation, 
love  and  pity  for  his  sister,  and  the  ignoble 
plan  to  win  for  her  the  regard  of  a  Christian 
whom  he  hated  with  the  accumulated  hatred  of 
all  his  Mohammedan  ancestors,  had  caused 
this  violent  reaction  of  his  subdued  spirit. 

It  is  a  paradox,  nevertheless  it  is  true,  that 


96  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

in  every  life  enter  fears  that  a  cherished  hope 
be  realized.  We  are  so  vacillating,  so  capri- 
cious, so  inconsistent  that  we  may  gladly  tear 
down  to-day  what  we  joyfully  built  yesterday. 
Said  at  this  juncture  felt  like  strangling  this 
kamzir,  this  unsavory  beast,  because  he  was 
interested  in  Zuleika :  the  very  thing,  only  a 
minute  ago,  he  had  desired  most.  In  spite  of 
this  murderous  impulse,  his  sister's  will  im- 
pelled him  to  obey  her  to  the  bitter  end. 

They  were  now  in  sight  of  the  ruins  of 
Memphis,  and  the  grandeur  of  the  scene  they 
beheld  gave  the  guide  an  opportunity  to  turn 
the  current  of  his  thoughts,  thus  mollifying 
his  hateful  feelings. 

"We  are  approaching  the  city  of  the  dead, 
where  stands  the  oldest  building  erected  by  the 
hand  of  man,"  observed  he,  pointing  south- 
ward. "Look  yonder!  On  the  edge  of  the 
Libyan  desert,  with  its  feet  bathing  in  the 
waters  of  the  King  of  Eivers,  rises  the  largest 
earthly  monument — the  stupendous  pyramid, 
tomb  of   the  Pharaoh  Khufu,  also  known  as 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  97 

Cheops.  Think  of  his  mighty  work!  One 
hundred  thousand  men  relieved  every  three 
months  by  another  hundred  thousand  toiled 
thirty  consecutive  years  to  complete  this  fabu- 
lous mausoleum.  The  first  ten  years  were 
spent  merely  to  make  a  road  for  the  carrying 
of  those  immense  blocks  which  have  stood  piled 
on  one  another  four  hundred  and  twenty -five 
feet  during  these  six  thousand  years.  The 
construction  of  the  pyramid  took  the  remain- 
ing twenty  years.  Each  of  the  sides  of  this 
mammoth  measures  eight  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,  and  its  four  sides  face  precisely  the  four 
points  of  the  compass.  Every  stone  is  thirty 
feet  long  or  over  and  carefully  polished  and 
jointed.  Cheops,  the  vicious  warrior  king, 
shall  ever  be  known  as  the  greatest  builder. 
Though  potentates  yet  unborn  may  construct 
another  structure  of  monstrous  dimensions  like 
this  which  at  present  holds  the  records  of  the 
babyhood  of  humanity,  no  contemporaneous  or 
future  ingenuity  and  skill  will  build  chambers 
and   halls   that,    through   centuries,  notwith- 


98  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

standing  the  millions  of  tons  pressing  over 
their  ceilings,  shall  preserve  perfect  regularity. 
No  architect  can  again  rear  an  edifice  that  for 
thousands  of  years  shall  endure  against  our 
sun's  fires,  the  Nile's  inundations,  the  Sahara's 
typhoons,  the  ever-drifting  sands,  and,  most 
destructive  of  all — the  vindictiveness  of  man!" 

A  southern  night  in  its  splendor  and  silence 
covers  this  sublime  scene  of  Nature  and  art. 
As  the  travelers  dismount  to  tie  their  animals, 
the  moon's  rays  spread  a  silvery  mantle  over  a 
colossal  image  of  granite  with  a  human  head 
and  breast,  and  the  body  of  a  reclining  lion. 
It  is  the  Sphinx,  a  hybrid,  mythological  crea- 
tion of  ancient  craft.  Woe  to  him  who  fails 
to  solve  the  riddles  which,  tradition  says,  this 
monster  propounds  to  mortals! 

"You  may  think  me  unbalanced,  khawageh, 
yet  I  have  never  been  more  lucid  than  to-night. 
I  tell  you  this  fearing  you  may  doubt  my 
sanity  after  hearing  what  I  am  going  to  say. 
The  fact  is,  I  must  hypnotize  myself  before 
being  able  to  find  the  entrance   to    the    hall. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  99 

Not  alone  ought  I  to  be  in  a  trance  to  discover 
the  door,  I  must  also  remain  in  that  condition 
in  order  to  understand  the  marks  on  the  walls. 
In  his  objective  state  man  is  never  inspired, 
and  I  need  much  inspiration  indeed  to  succeed 
in  this  undertaking. ' ' 

''Instead  of  thinking  you  of  unsound  mind, 
I  have  now  more  faith  than  ever  in  your  ability 
to  do  what  you  expect,"  retorts  Eugene,  rilled 
with  admiration  for  this  Jin-de-sibcle  Arab. 

Parisians  are  prone  to  believe  that,  beyond 
their  city's  fortifications,  new  sciences  are  un- 
known. While  this  one  was  aware  that  hypno- 
tism is  only  a  modern  name  for  an  old  fact, 
having  familiarized  himself  with  its  history 
antedating  Mesmer,  and  the  epoch  when  kings 
cured  goiter  by  the  laying  of  hands,  he  also 
knew  that  the  more  important  and  complex 
manifestations  of  this  mysterious  force  had 
resulted  from  tests  made  recently  in  his  own 
country.  Therefore,  great  was  his  astonish- 
ment to  find  an  Egyptian,  a  barbarian  one 
might  say,  conversant  with  the  latest  and  most 


100  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

interesting  scientific  theories ;  and,  from  that 
moment,  his  esteem  of  Said  grew.  Eugene 
had  studied  this  psychic  phenomenon  in  many 
of  its  phases,  and  quite  a  number  of  his  exper- 
iments in  suggestive  therapeutics,  spiritism, 
telepathy,  somnambulism,  clairvoyance,  mind- 
reading  and  other  ramifications  of  hypnotism 
had  succeded  beyond  the  expectations  of  crack- 
brained  enthusiasts,  and  in  spite  of  the  skepti- 
cism of  "know-it-all"  persons.  Among  medi- 
cal men  he  was  regarded  as  an  operator  pecul- 
iarly gifted  to  induce  hypnosis.  Upon  various 
occasions  he  had  placed  patients  in  a  state  of 
insensibility  to  pain  for  the  operations  of  a 
well-known  surgeon,  one  of  his  friends ;  and 
this  musician's  influence,  electricity,  magnet- 
ism, or  whatever  appellation  a  stickler  for 
names  might  wish  to  give  to  his  uncanny 
faculty,  proved  more  efficacious  than  ether. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  volition  be  exerted 
on  the  part  either  of  hypnotist  or  subject  in 
order  to  inject  this  most  deadly  or  curative 
drug. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  101 

Who  knows  but  this  occult  compound  was 
that  which  enthralled  Zuleika,  although  he 
had  not  sought  to  intoxicate  her? 

Who  can  prove  that  love  is  not  hypnotism? 


102  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


"I  wonder,  Said,  why  some  Egyptian  ruler 
has  not  discovered  the  place  we  are  about  to 
visit.  If  I  remember  correctly,  I  read  some- 
where that  serious  and  thorough  searches  had 
been  instituted." 

"They  have  been,  Jchawageh,  and  much  was 
unearthed;  not  everything,  however.  May  I 
give  you  a  bit  of  history  showing  exactly  how 
far  other  investigators  have  gone?" 

"Do." 

"From  many  centuries  before  the  Christian 
era  to  our  day,  Persians,  Greeks,  Komans, 
Arabs,  and  others,  hoping  to  find  treasures, 
from  time  to  time  penetrated  new  passages  and 
chambers  within  the  Great  Pyramid.  The 
Khalif  Mamun,  two  thousand  and  six  hundred 
years  ago,  caused  an  entrance  to  be  made.  His 
workmen,  afterreaching  a  considerable  depth, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  103 

found  a  vessel  containing,  strangely  enough, 
exactly  the  sum  expended  in  the  exploration. 
A  marble  slab  was  also  discovered,  bearing 
the  information  that  the  money  sufficed  for  the 
work  undertaken  by  the  curious  monarch ;  it 
also  added  that  he  would  spend  a  larger  sum 
in  vain,  if  he  attempted  to  penetrate  farther. 
Fabulous  legends  tell  of  statues  of  gold 
set  with  rare  jewels,  of  amulets,  talismans,  and 
mummies  which  were  found  in  a  golden  box 
placed  in  a  stone  sarcophagus,  but  there  are 
no  authentic  proofs  of  this.  To-day,  nothing 
of  value  is  known  to  exist  under  those  rugged 
blocks.  The  modern  visitor  may  enter  the 
several  chambers,  among  which,  the  one  named 
The  Great  Hall,  is  the  handsomest.  There 
he  can  verify  the  astounding  fact  that  neither  a 
needle  nor  even  a  hair  can  be  inserted  into  the 
joints  of  these  polished  fine-grained  Mokattam 
stones,  so  skillfully  are  they  placed  together — 
an  unsurpassable  marvel  of  masonry.  The 
explorer  will  then  proceed  to  the  King's  Cham- 
ber, the  floor  of  which  stands  one  hundred  and 


104  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

thirty-nine  feet  and  a  half  above  the  plateau 
holding  the  pyramid.  If  he  is  inquisitive,  and 
expects  to  see  jeweled  caskets,  ancient  works 
of  art,  and  other  paraphernalia  interesting  to 
archaeologist  or  ethnologist,  he  must  be  disap- 
pointed on  entering  this  room  which  contains 
only  a  mutilated  and  lidless  granite  coffin 
without  any  inscription.  Owing  to  the  enor- 
mous weight  of  the  mass  above,  the  prudent 
architect  relieved  the  ceiling  of  a  dangerous 
pressure  by  constructing  five  small  chambers 
above  this  room.  These  may  be  reached  from 
the  Great  Hall,  though  with  much  difficulty. 
They  hold  but  a  few  hieroglyphics  of  small 
import.  The  only  other  rooms  known  are  the 
Queen's  Chamber,  located  below  the  King's, 
and  a  subterranean  room  which  is  reached  by 
following  a  passage  leading  downward  in  a 
straight  line  two  hundred  and  ninety-three 
feet  long.  From  this  chamber  there  is  a  hor- 
izontal tunnel  running  some  distance,  which, 
according  to  all  Egyptologists,  leads  nowhere. 
There  lies  their  error,  for  there  is  the  .missing 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  105 

link  completing  the  chain  of  Cheop's  hitherto 
mysterious  purpose,  which  was  to  make  the 
pyramid  not  alone  his  mausoleum,  but  also 
the  receptacle  of  his  nation's  archives.  And 
from  that  intersected  passage  which  according 
to  everyone  leads  nowhere,  we  shall  go  on 
until  reaching  the  wonderful  spot. ' ' 

Said  who  had  placed  himself  in  a  somnam- 
bulistic condition  by  gazing  fixedly  at  the 
lantern  for  twenty  minutes,  was  now  dragging 
Eugene  by  the  arm  out  of  the  underground 
chamber  into  the  tunnel  supposed  without  exit. 
After  crawling  and  clambering  for  several 
minutes  through  this  uncomfortable  labyrinth 
which,  at  places,  is  not  over  three  feet  high 
and  four  wide,  they  suddenly  halt.  The  stones 
around  them  are  covered  with  slime,  and  the 
close  air  strongly  smells  of  rats,  toads,  and 
bats. 

The  Frenchman,  half-asphyxiated,  unable  to 
proceed,  stops  exhausted  and  on  the  verge  of 
fainting.  His  guide,  on  the  contrary,  moves 
with  extraordinary  energy  and  urges  him  on. 


106  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

One  of  the  many  inexplicable  physiological 
phenomena  of  hypnotism  is  that  in  some  som- 
nambulistic states  neither  bacteria  nor  nox- 
ious gases  produce  deleterious  effects.  The 
subject  may  be  wounded  with  a  poisoned  in- 
strument or  breathe  ammonia,  illuminating  gas, 
and  various  disease-breeding  substances,  yet 
feel  no  harmful  results.  This  accounts  for  the 
disability  of  one  of  these  men,  while  the  other 
retained  his  full  physical  powers. 

Happily  the  dragoman's  calculations  were 
correct.  Had  not  the  huge  trap  door  of  bronze 
responded  at  that  moment  to  his  pressure,  let- 
ting in  a  gust  of  pure  cold  air,  his  employer 
would  not  have  survived  many  more  inhala- 
tions in  that  fetid  atmosphere. 

Still  dazed,  Eugene  found  himself  in  a  large 
square  hall.  The  south  wall  was  one  big 
monolith  of  porphyry,  the  north  of  alabaster, 
the  west  of  crystal,  and  the  east  of  black  mar- 
ble. The  ornamentation  was  exceediugly  rich. 
Metal  reliefs  of  dazzling  colors,  contrasting 
strongly  with  the  tone   of   their   background, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  107 

literally  covered  the  walls.  By  the  dim  light 
of  their  lantern  it  was  impossible  to  get  a  com- 
plete effect  of  this  astonishing  scene,  but  the 
sense  of  sight  was  more  than  compensated  for 
this  loss  in  the  contemplation  of  details.  The 
filigree  work  in  stone  and  metal  resembled  a 
piece  of  old  point  lace,  and  its  novel,  startling, 
bewildering  tints  fascinated  the  vision  with 
their  transcendental  harmony.  An  aesthetic  be- 
holder would  have  concluded  that  this  dis- 
covery added  more  to  the  plastic  and  pictorial 
arts  than  to  the  annals  of  man,  even  had  he 
understood  the  wondrous  meaning  of  these 
amazing  designs. 

"Do  you  feel  sufficiently  strong,  kJimvageh, 
to  begin  recording  what  I  am  about  to  trans- 
late?" 

"Positively.  Since  breathing  better  air  I 
feel  revived.  I  must  warn  you  that  I  am  unac- 
quainted with  stenography,  therefore,  have  the 
goodness  to  speak  slowly  or  else  I  may  miss 
valuable  notes." 

"Have  no  fear.     It   is   difficult  enough   to 


108  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

read  this  at  a  moderate  speed,  and  I  trust  you 
will  not  be  impatient  if  I  linger  too  long  upon 
figures  which  may  puzzle  me.  I  would  rather 
be  slow,  yes,  silent,  than  conjectural:  the 
absence  of  facts  makes  a  more  correct  history 
than  the  invention  of  them." 

And   directing  his     light  upon  the  angle 
made  by  the  south  and  west  walls,  he  began. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  109 


XI. 


"The  Khonnou  race  settled  upon  the  banks 
of  the  Nile  one  hundred  centuries  before  the 
birth  of  Menes,  first  king  of  the  first  Egyptian 
dynasty.  The  Pharaoh  Menes  is  a  direct 
descendant  of  Klanrahd,  the  Liberator  of  this 
nation. 

"The  Ehonnou  walked  on  air  and  water. 
Without  mechanical  aids,  they  heard  and  saw 
beyond  the  seas.  Their  homes  were  warmed 
by  pipes  sunk  fifteen  thousand  feet  into  the 
earth's  crust,  thus  drawing  its  central  heat. 
Through  the  suction  of  the  enveloping  ether 
over  any  point  upon  this  sublunary  sphere, 
they  thwarted  the  law  of  gravitation  and  lifted 
heavy  bodies  to  any  height;  with  this  same 
principle  applied  horizontally  they  trans- 
ported these  weights  instantaneously  over  vast 
areas. 


110  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

'  'Gold  was  not  utilized,  being  too  soft  for 
the  useful  arts;  nor  were  rare  stones  con- 
sidered of  value.  The  people  placed  upon  the 
body  only  seasonable  cloths.  Precious  metals 
and  gems  were  cast  aside,  if  they  could  not  be 
fruitfully  employed. 

'  'Through  a  highly  developed  sense  of  smell, 
concerts  of  perfumes  were  appreciated.  The 
sensitiveness  and  culture  of  the  Khonnou 
enabled  them  to  receive  sound-sensations  with 
ears  hermetically  closed,  for  they  could  appre- 
hend the  vibrations  of  the  air  through  the 
optic  nerve ;  and  with  eyes  also  shut,  they  en- 
joyed accents  and  musical  tones  merely  by  the 
sense  of  touch. 

"An  equal  amount  of  food  and  clothing  was 
allotted  to  each  inhabitant.  No  money  existed. 
Wise  economy  was  a  civic  virtue,  making  it 
praiseworthy  to  return  large  portions  of  one's 
unused  State  allowance. 

"Only  the  gifted  few  were  entitled  to  a 
higher  education,  and  this  was  mainly  moral 
and  ethical,  because   material   ends  were  re- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  Ill 

garded  as  secondary  in  the  training  of  virtuous 
citizens.  It  was  thought  that  the  schooling  of 
the  masses  in  superior  knowledge  would  pre- 
vent them  from  being  able  to  satisfy  their  most 
pressing  needs,  thereby  causing  discontent  of 
mind  and  discomfort  of  body,  eventually  lead- 
ing men  to  destroy  the  life  and  property  of 
their  neighbors  through  jealousy,  hatred,  and 
envy.  No  amount  of  instruction  might  spare 
the  miner  from  living  under  the  ground,  the 
sailor  from  floating  over  the  watery  expanse,  or 
the  ploughman  from  laboring  the  fields.  The 
leading  aim  of  teachers  was  to  inculcate  in 
each  inhabitant  self-respect,  the  respect  of 
others,  the  veneration  of  parents,  and  the  love 
of  work. 

"Woman  was  forbidden  abstruse  studies  be- 
cause they  made  her  less  fit  to  bear  and  nour- 
ish healthy  children.  "When  with  child,  she 
was  almost  deified ;  under  these  circumstances, 
the  State,  regarding  maternity  as  the  noblest 
function,  did  everything  for  her  well-being. 

"If  women  outnumbered  men  polygamy  was 


112  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

considered  good,  morally  and  physiologically ; 
when  the  stronger  sex  preponderated,  poly- 
andry ruled ;  if  the  sexes  were  equally  divided, 
statutes  enforced  monogamy.  There  were  no 
celibates,  except  the  deformed,  criminal,  dis- 
eased, and  those  mentally,  morally,  or  physi- 
cally feeble  whom  the  State  then  asexualized 
to  avert  unborn  misery. 

' 'Suicide  was  recommended  in  the  case  of 
incurable  disease  or  inconsolable  grief.  The 
right  to  terminate  life  when  pain  could  not  be 
alleviated,  was  granted  the  physician. 

"The  Rhonnou  severed  the  marriage  tie  at 
will ;  the  daughters  going  with  the  mother, 
the  sons  with  the  father.  It  was  incumbent 
upon  the  divorced  to  remarry  within  a  year, 
under  the  penalty  of  imprisonment,  which,  in 
such  instances,  lasted  until  the  State  could 
arrange  another  union. 

"Sympathy  was  extended  to  all  human 
beings  regardless  of  race  or  opinions.  This 
people  condemned  patriotism  as  an  unwise  and 
selfish  love  of  one's  native  land,  causing  blood- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  113 

shed  between  nations.  They  believed  patriot- 
ism engendered  pride,  arrogance,  and  com- 
bativeness,  and  that,  through  overweening 
confidence  in  their  military  power,  races  might 
plunge  into  sanguinary  conflicts  and  ultimately 
disappear.  War  was  called  a  wholesale  mur- 
der sanctioned  by  Fatherland.  The  Khonnou 
were  certain  that  beneath  the  hatred  of  peo- 
ples, beneath  the  interests,  the  jealousies,  and 
the  cruelty  that  may  crush  empires,  there  was 
a  peaceful  commonwealth  universal,  all-embrac- 
ing, and  grander  than  all — the  republic  of 
altruism. 

" These  dwellers  along  the  bountiful  Nile 
did  not  think  exile  was  an  evil.  They  had 
enjoyed  the  change  to  these  fertile  banks  from 
the  arid  plateaus  of  Asia  overlooking  the 
Euphrates,  the  cradle  of  their  race,  and  they 
successfully  founded  distant  colonies.  'Man,' 
they  used  to  tell,  'is  not  a  tree  imbedded  in 
one  garden ;  he  can  thrive  in  many  gardens 
and  under  many  skies. ' 

"There  were  no  priests  nor  religious  dog- 


114  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

mas.  An  intuitive  morality  guided  all.  The 
motive  to  a  noble  action  was  conscience  in- 
spired by  the  love  for  others.  These  altruists 
had  no  god  to  reward  the  right  or  to  punish  the 
wrong.  The  individual  set  his  whole  trust 
upon  himself.  When  he  rode  alone  through 
desert  and  forest  or  sailed  the  shoreless  oceans, 
he  commanded  his  soul  to  himself  not  to  fetich 
or  saint.  This  egoism  expanded  to  great 
sacrifices  for  friends,  family,  and  country.  To 
a  Khonnou,  Nature  was  a  book  half-understood 
or  misunderstood,  yet  whose  pages  were  open 
to  all. 

" Opinion  as  to  the  conduct  of  public  affairs 
was  not  divided.  Political  factions  were 
known  only  theoretically,  and  were  deprecated. 
Some  of  the  popular  notions  regarding 
political  parties  were :  A  party  is  an  arm  in- 
vented to  injure  one's  enemies ;  a  party  leader 
can  never  be  entirely  honest ;  partisans  think 
they  are  actors,  but  they  are  simply  acted 
upon ;  to  the  other  faction,  a  citizen  is  always 
a    traitor;  partisans   lie   so   often   that  they 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  115 

finally  believe  themselves,  the  only  ones  who 
escape  the  self-delusion  being  their  intellectual 
leaders,  originators  of  the  falsehoods ;  a  party 
divides  family  and  commonwealth;  it 
crushes  honesty  because  truth  is  a  party's 
worst  opponent ;  when  a  party  cannot  bribe  it 
defames;  all  wars  result  from  political 
parties. '  ■ 

With  this  sentence  Said  reached  the  end  of 
the  west  wall. 

"I  believe,"  said  he,  "we  shall  find  that 
each  wall  is  like  a  chapter  in  a  book.  Sure 
enough !  Here  begins  the  next  wall  with  an 
epoch  distinct  from  the  preceding.  Are  you 
ready?" 

"Go  ahead!" 

"THE  HIERARCHY  OF  PRELATES. 

"Seventy-four  centuries  before  Menes  as- 
cends the  throne,  the  Khonnou  libraries  were 
yet  far-famed,  and  the  nation  known  as  the 
wisest.  Kings  and  savants  came  from  the 
antipodes  for  universal  wisdom. 

"At  this  period  the  people  began  to  have  a 


116  THE   VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

religion,  and  to  burn  incense  before  wooden 
images  of  gods,  each  representing  an 
evil. 

''The  pilgrims  who  knelt  at  the  shrine  of 
the  Father  of  Gods  in  the  Temple  of  Temples 
offered  in  sacrifice,  original  works  of  art,  new 
systems  of  philosophy,  and  recent  inventions. 
These,  snatched  by  geniuses  from  the  realms 
of  matter  or  of  spirit,  were  destroyed  to  pro- 
pitiate the  gods.  This  form  of  offering  was 
the  highest  proof  of  devotion  inventive  men 
could  give. 

"These  people  were  as  ever  thrifty  and 
honest:  their  instincts  led  them  to  do  good 
and  to  search  the  truth.  Why,  then,  should 
they  need  to  propitiate  the  gods?  Because, 
according  to  the  clergy,  goodness  and  tolera- 
tion were  detested  by  their  deities.  Cunning, 
indolence,  and  unmentionable  sins  were  en- 
couraged, and  schools  of  vice  established  by 
'divine  command, '  as  the  priests  said.  Through 
a  long  line  of  virtuous  progenitors  the  Ehon- 
nou  were  impelled  to  obey  benevolent  propen- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  117 

sities,  and  they  often  digressed  from  the 
criminal  paths  traced  by  their  religion. 

"Ecclesiastical  laws  forced  the  hereditary 
rulers  to  make  vows  of  poverty,  which  resulted 
in  placing  the  governmental  reins  in  the  hands 
of  the  clergy.  When  these  came  to  power  they 
put  into  use  the  inventions  which  were  sup- 
posed to  have  been  annihilated  by  them  in  the 
secret  sacrificial  chapel. 

"Purely  intellectual  forces  now  no  longer 
sufficed  to  sway  men,  and  by  playing  upon 
their  emotions,  the  prelates  grew  in  might  and 
riches.  The  sentiment  of  fear  was  skillfully 
used ;  through  threat  of  everlasting  punishment 
in  the  next  life,  they  held  the  people  in  abso- 
lute subjugation.  The  priests  claimed  to  be 
representatives  of  the  gods,  and  the  divinely 
appointed  guardians  of  the  public  weal.  They 
pretended  to  have  received  mandates  direct 
from  heaven  in  the  form  of  golden  tablets  upon 
which  were  inscribed  the  laws ;  these  records 
were  zealously  hidden  from  profane  eyes." 

"It  is  wonderful  how  history  repeats  itself!" 


118  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

exclaimed  Eugene.  "The  success  of  the 
founders  of  a  religion  is  always  due  to  the 
hysterical  element  in  man :  a  divine  vision  is 
but  a  pathological  state.  From  time  im- 
memorial stupid  humanity  has  been  swayed  by 
epileptics,  geniuses,  and  prophets. ' '  Here  he 
paused  and  bit  his  lip,  suddenly  remembering 
Mohammed's  peculiarities;  luckily  Said  had 
not  heard  as  he  was  almost  blinded  by  a  vio- 
lent headache,  and  thought  only  of  finishing 
his  task.  Noting  an  expression  of  pain  in  the 
guide's  countenance,  which  he  attributed  to  his 
interruption,  the  Frenchman  pursued: 
"You'll  pardon  these  reflections,  won't  you? 
You  cannot  imagine  how  many  times  I  have 
felt  like  expressing  the  thoughts  your  fascinat- 
ing narrative  awakens. ' ' 

"Do  not  hesitate  to  interrupt  me  whenever 
you  wish,"  responded  the  dragoman,  who 
thereupon  resumed  his  translation : 

"With  their  delusive  hopes  and  fears  of  a 
future  existence,  and  their  priests'  preaching 
of  the  present's  worthlessness,  the  Rhonnou, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  119 

hitherto  a  contented  people,  became  wretched. 
Suffering  augmented  and  created  an  artificial 
need  of  another  life  that  promised  to  be  better. 

"The  instinct  of  egoism  was  thoroughly 
taken  advantage  of  by  the  clergy;  but  they 
overshot  the  mark  in  their  endeavor  to  enslave 
man  through  the  free  exercise  of  his  vilest  pas- 
sions. At  this  stage  the  nation  touched  the 
lowest  depth.  Crimes  were  lauded  and  re- 
wards offered  for  excesses  in  them.  Sanguinary 
combats  between  man  and  beasts  became  ritual 
forms.  The  sexes  lived  apart,  deaths  out- 
numbered births,  and  the  race  was  rushing  to 
its   extinction." 

With  this  last  word  ended  the  north  wall, 
but  the  guide  proceeded  without  resting : 
"the  liberator. 

"Fifty-one  centuries  before  Menes  ascends 
the  throne,  Klanrahd,  the  Liberator,  appears. 

"The  main  event  is  the  peaceful  revolution 
through  which  this  noble  character,  unsullied 
by  his  time,  brings  back  his  people  into  the 
ways  of  righteousness :  from  polytheism  to  the 


120  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

high  empyrean  of  pure  reason,  from  the  dread 
of  idols  to  the  love  of  men. 

"The  final  hypothesis  of  his  creed  was  that 
the  First  Cause  is  Unknowable,  and,  irreconcil- 
able as  it  may  seem,  while  he  propounded  the 
doctrine  of  agnosticism,  he  spoke  of  the 
spiritual  and  physical  manifestations  of  the 
Hakmah — a  collective  term  for  soul,  spirit, 
mind,  and  brain. 

"Klanrahd  had  been  begotten  in  bondage; 
he  was  lame,  short  of  stature,  slight  of  frame, 
and  his  features  were  irregular  and  bizarre : 
they  would  have  repelled,  except  for  the 
nobility  of  his  brow,  the  kindliness  of  his 
smile,  and  the  meekness  of  his  demeanor. 
In  the  beginning,  he  was  ridiculed,  cari- 
catured, and  persecuted ;  later,  the  unflinching 
adherence  to  his  principles  under  repeated 
tortures  won  him  the  admiration  of  all. 

"His  healing  power  was  infallible.  The  sick 
in  body  or  mind  flocked  to  him  from  distant 
parts.  Incurables  approached,  their  suppli- 
cating arms  extended,  and  by  laying  his  hands 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  121 

on  each,  he  sent  them  forth  cured  and  rejoic- 
ing. 

"The  Liberator  was  the  embodiment  of  un- 
selfishness, and  never  accepted  fees  or  honors. 
He  dwelled  in  the  cave  of  a  rocky  hill.  A 
tunic  of  coarse  hemp,  a  copper  dish,  and  a 
wooden  spoon,  were  his  sole  possessions.  He 
ate  only  vegetables;  these,  unasked  for,  were 
placed  in  his  metal  vessel  by  grateful  patients. 
Once  in  a  while  he  passed  several  consecutive 
days  without  food,  if  it  was  not  brought  to 
him,  because  he  never  complained  nor  begged. 

"Leisure  hours  had  come  to  the  Khonnou 
through  practical  inventions  and  discoveries 
applied  over  their  vast  and  fertile  territories, 
and  by  the  storing  of  their  immense  and  super- 
fluous crops.  The  people  grew  indolent,  luxu- 
rious, heartless :  their  soul  was  dead. 

"In  the  Temple  of  Temples  he  usually  began 
his  daily  oration  by  saying:  'You  fill  your 
palaces  with  gold  while  you  starve  your 
Hakmah !  ? 

"Klanrahd's  example  in  resisting  the  master 


*    * 


122  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

temptation  of  his  day — material  gain — was 
potent ;  it  mollified  the  avaricious  spirit  of  his 
nation.  His  whole  existence  was  a  silent, 
though  sublime  and  potent,  revolt  against 
gross  materialism. 

"The  Liberator's  humility,  generosity,  and 
particularly  his  healing  power,  ultimately 
made  him  the  object  of  a  popular  regard  bor- 
dering upon  idolatry.  His  great  honesty  and 
eloquence  alone  prevented  the  nation  from 
worshipping  him  as  a  god.  'lama  plain  man 
like  you,'  would  he  preach.  'My  origin  is 
lowlier  than  that  of  any  one  here,  and  the 
worms  in  an  eternal  night  await  me  yonder. 
I  am  not  better  than  the  most  despised  and 
despicable.  If  I  do  good  it  is  in  obedience  to 
an  inexplicable  impulse.  My  will  is  not  more 
free  to  make  me  do  wrong  than  is  the  will  of  a 
sinner  free  to  make  him  do  right.  My  acts 
are  unconscious,  they  result  from  birth  or  sug- 
gestion. If  the  Hakmah  impels  me  to  virtuous 
action,  let  me  thank  its  Good  Maker.  How 
could    I    claim    credit    for    faculties   which, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  123 

though  beneficent,  are  not  of  my  own  mak- 
ing ?' 

"With  consistency  he  demonstrated  that  the 
evil  thoughts  and  deeds — not  the  original  sins 
— of  parents  cursed  their  children.  Klanrahd 
was  convinced  that  through  generations  of  vir- 
tuous lives  and  the  proper  training  of  descend- 
ants, a  steady  advance  would  be  made  toward 
philosophy  and  beatitude  until  finally  the 
highest  plane  would  be  reached  by  the  human 
family  upon  the  wings  of  the  Hakmah.  An 
impressive  exhortation  to  charity  always 
closed  his  sermon.  His  precepts,  with  the 
powerful  example  of  a  life  of  abnegation,  in- 
fluenced the  Rhonnou  and  made  them  once 
again  wise  and  philanthropic. ' ' 

The  east  wall  was  finished,  but  Said  could 
not  go  on.  His  head  hung  limp  upon  the 
breast,  and  he  stood  mute,  with  parched  lips 
and  burning  throat.  His  temples  throbbed  as 
if  about  to  split.  He  looked  around  aimlessly, 
and  just  as  Eugene  thought  he  was  going  to 
read  the  next  wall,  the  Arab  fell  swooning   in 


124  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

his  arms,  a  helpless  prey  to  a  fever  that,  for 
several  days,  had  been  insidiously  consuming 
him. 

"Great  heavens,  Said!  what  is  the  matter? 
Let  us  get  out  quickly,"  the  Frenchman 
shouted.  Although  appehending  some  seri- 
ous trouble,  he  was  too  startled  and  shocked 
to  note  the  maniacal  gleams  in  his  dragoman's 
eyes,  which  a  practised  alienist  would  have 
interpreted  as  symptomatic  of  a  terrible  mental 
disorder. 

Was  it  fatigue  the  result  of  ten  hours  of 
close  attention  that  had  unnerved  the  hardy 
Bedouin?  Was  it  hysteria  induced  by  hyp- 
nosis? Might  not  his  superexcited  state  be 
due  to  the  recital  of  the  thrilling  Khonnou 
annals  ?  No ;  not  one  of  these  was  the  cause  of 
his  collapse.  His  condition  resulted  from  the 
conflicting  emotions  that  seared  his  heart  since 
Zuleika's  avowal.  The  illness  had  stealthily 
increased  through  days  and  nights  of  ceaseless 
perturbation,  during  which,  with  clinched  jaws 
and  threatening  fists  he  hurled  anathemas  upon 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  125 

that  foul  Christian's  head  while  cursing  his 
own  weakness  which  made  him  the  tool  of  a 
foolish  sister  when,  instead  of  this,  he  "ought 
to  be  eating  the  heart  of  that  cur!" 

Five  or  six  minutes  elapsed  before  the  guide 
could  speak;  meanwhile,  he  remained  rigid 
and  cold  in  his  employer's  arms.  Then,  roll- 
ing his  eyeballs  and  swaying  his  head  like  a 
caged  tiger,  he  mumbled : 

"What  has  happened?  Why  do  you  stare 
at  me  thus,  and  why  your  arms  around 
me?" 

"My  dear  fellow,  you  were  about  to  sink  to 
the  floor  as  you  ended  Klanrahd's  oration,  and 
I  caught  you  barely  in  time.  We  had  better 
not  begin  the  remaining  wall  to-day." 

"Oh,  yes!  I  must  finish  now  for  all  time," 
blurted  out  Said.  "Of  course,  I  am  dizzy  and 
very,  oh!  very  tired.  I  feel  nauseated,  too; 
but  I  shall  end  my  task  now  were  I  to  do  it 
alone  and  die  in  the  attempt.  Do  you  hear? 
Were  I  to  die  in  the  attempt ! ' ' 

He  then  deciphered  from  the  south  wall : 


126  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

"THE  CURSE  OF  THE  GODS. 

"Four  centuries  before  Menes  ascends  the 
throne,  from  miles  around  could  be  seen  the 
stupendous  statue  of  Klanrahd  rising  three  hun- 
dred feet  which  the  Khonnou,  in  their  gratitude, 
had  erected  to  the  memory  of  their  Liberator. 
A  report  has  it  that  when  his  spirit  left  its  de- 
caying abode,  the  gods  watching  over  the 
destiny  of  this  race  petrified  the  remains  and 
augmented  them  to  this  fabulous  size.  That 
fable  was  woven  by  the  priests  who  were 
gradually  returning  to  power.  The  clergy 
hated  the  name  of  this  good  philosopher,  but 
the  remembrance  of  him  was  dear  to  the  peo- 
ple. The  position  of  these  prelates  being,  as 
yet,  insufficiently  firm  to  enable  them  to  over- 
throw this  popular  idol,  they  craftily  praised 
Klanrahd' s  achievements,  pretended  to  be  his 
acolytes,  and  claimed  to  have  built  his  statue. 
In  reality,  they  were  doing  their  utmost  to 
counteract  the  benign  influence  of  his  teachings. 

"A  notion  prevailed  to  the  effect  that  so  long 
as  this  stony  image  stood,  the   nation  would 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  127 

prosper.  'Woe  to  us!'  believed  the  Rhonnou, 
'if  Klanrahd  ever  falls!'  For  this  apprehen- 
sion there  existed  two  reasons ;  the  first  was 
that,  in  its  fall,  the  statue  would  crush  the 
costly  Temple  of  Temples  whose  dome  touched 
the  palm  of  the  monstrous  hand  uplifted  in  the 
act  of  blessing  it ;  the  other,  was  on  account  of 
the  belief  that  such  a  calamity  would  prophesy 
an  unheard-of  general  cataclysm. 

"Manrmhud,  the  capital  of  the  Ehonnou, 
was  an  immense  city  spreading  many  leagues 
over  both  banks  of  the  river.  In  the  west,  it 
extended  as  far  as  the  marshy  lands*  that 
divide  the  north  and  south  seas.  In  this 
metropolis  the  hundred  mightiest  citizens,  one 
half  of  whom  were  bishops,  dwelled  in  palaces 
of  tremendous  dimensions  surmounted  by 
hanging  gardens  vast  and  beautiful,  that  sent  to 
the  zenith  an  unbroken  cloud  of  incense  from 
the  fragrant  perfume  of  rose,  citron,  lilac, 
orange,  magnolia,  and  jessamine  blossoms. 
Baths  of  fabulous  size  shaded  by  majestic 
*  The  Suez  Canal. 


128  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

eucalyptuses  and  decorated  with  frescoes,  re- 
liefs, and  intaglios  of  mysterious  symbolism, 
characterized  these  sumptuous  habitations,  to 
which  were  annexed  pyramids  of  vertiginous 
height  holding  ancestral  remains.  Stupendous 
private  temples  for  the  worship  of  each  family, 
were  approached  by  long  avenues  of  colossal 
owls  of  granite  and  porphyry  that  led  to  their 
alabaster  peristyle  containing  forests  of  marble 
columns,  one  more  precious  than  the  other, 
and  myriads  of  statues  of  inconceivable  work- 
manship. Upon  the  monolithic  door-posts 
garlands  of  flowers  and  features  of  mytholog- 
ical beings  were  chiseled  with  inexpressible 
skill. 

"The  remainder  of  the  population,  amount- 
ing to  nearly  ten  million  souls,  lived  in  mud 
huts. 

"In  this  era,  in  spite  of  the  Liberator's 
moral  precepts,  the  horrible  practices  of  a 
former  cruel  epoch  were  resumed,  and,  under 
ecclesiastical  domination,  national  degenera- 
tion once  more  set  in. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  129 

"The  Temple  of  Temples  stood  upon  a 
round  terrace  half  a  mile  in  diameter.  The 
exterior  of  its  dome  inlaid  with  gold  and 
enamel,  seemed  to  challenge  the  skies  in  bril- 
liancy, so  glorious,  so  resplendent  was  the 
reflection  of  the  sunbeams  as  they  fell  upon 
the  bright  surface.  One  night  the  huge  statue 
swayed  to  and  fro  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then 
solemnly  toppled  over  head  foremost  upon 
this  sublime  cathedral,  carrying  everything  in 
the  way  of  its  awful  descent.  Some  of  the 
fragments  of  the  mammoth  image,  found  miles 
away  deeply  imbedded  in  the  soil,  are  the  only 
vestiges  of  its  departed  grandeur. 

"Klanrahd's  statue  had  been  erected  accord- 
ing to  perfect  laws  of  construction,  and  there 
had  been  no  earth  disturbance ;  therefore,  the 
way  in  which  it  dropped  could  not  be  attributed 
to  the  mistake  of  builders,  nor  to  the  uncon- 
scious elements.  Whence,  then,  came  that 
propelling  force  and  the  destructive  design 
originating  it?  Was  it  from  priests,  from 
God,  from  the  inert  mass  itself?     These  three 


130  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

hypotheses  were  taken  into  account,  yet,  to 
this  day,  nobody  has  solved  the  enigma;  and 
it  is  no  wonder,  for,  without  further  evidence, 
it  were  equally  logical  to  infer  that  any  one 
of  the  three  is  the  correct  supposition. ' ' 

At  this  juncture  Said's  legs  relaxed  as  wax 
under  the  influence  of  heat,  and  he  crouched  in 
a  heap  upon  the  marble  floor. 

"Don't  help  me  up,  khawageh,"  whispered 
he,  in  a  faint  and  singular  voice.  "Let  me  lie 
here  a  moment.  All  I  need  is  a  little  rest, 
and  then  I'll  be  able  to  finish." 

Eugene  spread  the  burnous  on  the  pavement 
and  his  dragoman  stretched  himself  upon  it. 
From  hunger,  fatigue,  and  overexcitation  the 
Frenchman  also  was  unstrung,  and  felt  anxious 
to  get  out  of  that  chamber  which  was  begin- 
ning to  invest  a  fantastical  aspect  in  his  fagged- 
out  brain.  Knowing,  however,  that  the  Arab 
would  die  rather  than  leave  his  translation  un- 
finished, Eugene  resignedly  sat  down  upon  the 
floor  to  await  the  return  of  his  guide's 
strength. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  131 

"I  don't  understand,  under  the  circum- 
stances, how  it  would  be  possible  for  that 
statue  to  fall  in  such  a  peculiar  way,  unless 
man  or  Allah  had  a  hand  in  it, '  *  remarked 
Sai'd.  "How  could  a  destructive  motive  reside 
in  an  inert  mass  of  stones?  That  seems  a  pre- 
posterous view.  I  am  unable  to  comprehend. 
Can  you  conceive  of  such  a  possibility?" 

"I  can.  I  am  not  sure  to  prove  anything, 
but  I  may  offer  my  own  answer  to  this  seem- 
ingly absurd  question,  although,  I  am  frank  to 
confess,  no  phenomenon  of  such  a  character 
has  ever  come  within  the  course  either  of  my 
reading  or  of  my  experience. ' !  He  slowly 
repeated  the  dragoman's  query,  "How  could  a 
destructive  motive  reside  in  an  inert  mass  of 
stones?"  scratched  his  head  to  call  forth  ideas, 
and  began :  "In  the  first  place,  allow  me  to  say 
that,  though  a  fact  may  not  be  within  my  con- 
sciousness, its  absence  does  not  prove  its  non- 
existence, does  it?  I  believe  everything  is 
possible.  The  blind  man  calls  the  sun  dark : 
does  his  blindness  disprove  its  light?     After 


132  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

all,  inertia  cannot  demonstrate  death  any  more 
than  motion  proves  life.  Why  may  not  there 
be  vitality  in  immobility  ?  In  the  final  inven- 
tory of  my  reading,  I  throw  aside  all  the 
books,  all  save  that  of  mathematics ;  the  others 
are  incomplete  and  generally  misleading. 
What  do  scientists  of  an  epoch  possess  that 
those  of  another  century  may  not  call  worth- 
less? Exceedingly  little  indeed,  if  the  phil- 
osophy of  history  teaches  anything.  I  certainly 
do  not  claim  to  know  more  than  others :  my 
sole  real  knowledge  is  that  I  am  ignorant.  I 
know  I  do  not  know,  and  that,  by  the  way,  is 
a  greater  sum  of  learning  than  some  scientists 
ever  attain,  for  they  are  too  vain  ever  to  see 
their  own  limitations.  Of  course,  you  are 
thinking  I  am  digressing  just  now,  talking  at 
random,  and  so  forth.  Well,  if  so,  you  are 
mistaken.  I  can  assure  you  I  have  never 
thought  more  coherently,  more  lucidly  than  at 
this  instant.  The  hypothesis  I  am  going  to 
advance  is  so  odd,  however,  that  I  wanted  to 
claim  a  well-grounded  right  to  my  opinion, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  133 

though  it  be  at  variance  with  all  science,  and 
though  it  be  based  upon  no  precedent. ' ' 

Having  warmed  up  to  his  subject  to  the 
extent  of  being  wholly  absorbed  by  it,  Eugene 
went  on  without  observing  that  the  dragoman 
had  fallen  asleep : 

"Who  knows  the  occult  power  and  motives 
of  molecular  forces?  The  tortuous  brooklet 
gurgling  through  the  dale,  the  mountain  peaks 
struggling  to  pierce  the  sky,  and  the  azure 
firmament  itself  turning  to  a  flat  black  speak 
alike  to  poet  and  philosopher  of  dynamic, 
preordained  impulses.  Time,  space,  matter, 
and  motion  are  naught  without  the  mind — that 
is  everything  and  everywhere.  Mankind, 
from  time  unrecorded,  have  accepted  the  notion 
of  life  in  incorporeal,  intangible  things — in 
disembodied  spirits.  Is  it  not  as  reasonable 
to  believe  a  mind  might  find  a  habitation  in 
inert  matter,  since  it  may  exist  in  empty 
space,  in  nothing?  When  a  huge  rock  leaves 
the  mountain  side  and  in  its  furious  run  de- 
stroys   a   hamlet   and   its    inhabitants     more 


134  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

effectively  than  the  bloodthirsty  tyrant  who 
descends  with  his  cohorts,  this  certainly  is  not 
a  conclusive  proof  that  the  stone  is  animated. 
Yet,  let  me  ask  you:  Is  not  the  result  of  its 
mad  course  apparently  planned  by  an  infernal 
spirit?  Though  a  monolith  may  have  been 
lifeless  during  the  millions  of  years  it  stood 
motionless  as  an  integral  part  of  the  hillside, 
and  until  the  very  moment  it  broke  its  Cyclo- 
pean moorings,  am  I  illogical  if  I  suppose  that 
now  it  may  be  endowed  with  an  individual 
soul?  It  no  doubt  has  the  palpable  attributes 
of  life — time,  space,  matter,  and  motion. 
"Why,  then,  might  it  not  contain  a  spark  of  the 
universal,  all-permeating  mind ?  Man's  narrow 
insight  has  invented  the  word  'inanimate'  just 
as  it  has  created  objective  heavens  and  hells, 
angels,  griffins,  virgin-mothers,  satyrs,  devils, 
and  ghosts ;  but,  in  reality,  these  are  but  delu- 
sions, illusions,  or  hallucinations,  and  they 
exist  only  subjectively.  No,  my  dear  Said, 
there  is  no  death :  annihilation  is  but  a  tran- 
sitory state,  and  so  is  immobility.     Back  of 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  135 

all  inertia  there  must  be  life;  behind  all 
death,  motion.  An  idea  may  dwell  in  the  in- 
finitesimal atom.  If  the  microbe  kills  a  czar, 
why  may  not  a  molecule  have  willfully  knocked 
down  Klanrahd's  gigantic  statue?" 

Noticing  that  the  Arab  was  dozing,  he 
nevertheless  continued  his  ruminations  aloud 
to  keep  himself  awake,  as  he  was  feeling 
extremely  drowsy : 

"Why  should  causes  be  hidden  from  man? 
Is  he  doomed  everlastingly  to  cry  in  vain, 
'Why,  whence,  whither?'  I  suppose  so.  It 
is  perhaps  decreed  above  that  a  mortal  shall 
not  read  the  holy  scroll  of  Nature's  secret 
lore;  that,  farther  than  the  forward  foot,  he 
must  not  foresee  his  narrow  earthly  path ;  and 
that,  upon  the  inky  waves  of  his  shoreless 
Beyond,  neither  sail  nor  beacon  shall  surge 
forth  to  guide  him.  If  so,  let  it  be !  After 
all,  it  is  best  to  content  one's  self  with  dark- 
ness, while  hoping  for  light,  and  remain- 
ing fearless  of  everything,  everything  except 
Ego — that  most  dangerous  enemy !" 


136  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

The  soothing  waters  of  sleep  were  gradually 
submerging  the  domain  of  his  thoughts,  and, 
as  happens  when  we  approach  Slumberland, 
ideas  grew  incoherent  and  confused.  He  now 
lisped : 

"Thou  art  here,  Zuleika,  though  far  away. 
Every  object  centers  in  me,  all  things  are  sub- 
jective :  the  universe,  't  is  my  brain,  and  there 
art  thou  enthroned,  my  queen !  In  my  futile 
attempts  to  find  the  truth,  what  precious  hours 
of  this  span-long  life  I  do  lose !  Wisdom  is 
misery  :  it  were  better  to  be  a  happy  fool  than 
a  sad  sage,  though  I  be  the  wisest.  Silly 
weakling  that  thou  art  to  postpone  the  carnal 
delights,  though  only  for  one  hour !  To  what 
purpose?  For  more  erudition?  Have  I  not 
the  greatest,  an  unrelenting,  conviction  that  I 
am  an  ass?  Yet,  in  spite  of  this  light,  human 
inconsistency  lures  me  over  and  over  into 
denser  asininities  through  the  glimmer  of 
will-o'-the-wisp  cogitations  that  make  me 
forget  the  knowledge  of  my  stupidity — my 
sole  intellectual  harbor!" 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  137 

The  erratic  monologue  is  brusquely  stopped 
here  by  an  unearthly  shriek  from  the  drago- 
man, who  points  to  the  south  wall,  trembling, 
horrified,  hiding  his  face  as  if  he  beheld  a  hell- 
ish apparition.  His  somnambulistic  trance  is 
over.  "  Yes,  that's  it !  Put  it  down  on  your  pad, 
quick,  quick!"  he  spasmodically  shouts,  then 
slowly  enunciates  as  if  reading  from  the  re- 
liefs and  carvings  in  the  wall :  "In  vain  shalt 
thou  seek  farther.  Cursed  be — ' ' 
He  repeats  these  words,  the  while  pounding 
his  forehead  to  accelerate  the  mental  process ; 
immediately  afterward  he  howls  at  the  top  of 
his  voice:  "Put  this  down!  It's  inscribed 
there!  Don't  you  see  it?  Don't  you  feel 
the  heat  from  these  letters  of  fire  saying, 
*  Cursed  be  the  translator?  Oh!  filthy 
hound !  Why  hast  thou  stirred  the  embers  of 
the  past?  How  darest  thou  tear  the  veil  of 
eternal  oblivion!  Canst  thou  help  man  by 
thy  prattle  ?  Yermin !  The  power  of  speech 
shall  be  snatched  from  thee  and  thy  carcass 
flung  to  the  desert's  jackals!" 


138  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


XII. 

Eugene,  more  dead  than  alive,  dragged  his 
terrified  companion  out  of  the  pyramid  with- 
out learning  whether  these  last  phrases  were 
on  the  wall  or  solely  in  the  diseased  imagina- 
tion of  his  guide. 

It  is  noon.  The  fiery  orb  in  the  zenith 
drops  molten  lead  over  two  phantom-like  riders 
creeping  silently  along  the  sandy  road  to  Cairo. 

Said  had  awakened  from  his  hypnotic  state 
with  an  ominous  premonitory  feeling  of  great 
depression.  After  reaching  the  city  he  passed 
into  a  condition  of  stupor ;  later,  acute  delirium 
grew  to  a  maximum  of  intensity.  His  head 
became  hot,  his  eyes  wild,  his  skin  moist,  and 
whitish  saliva  overran  his  mouth.  He  expec- 
torated incessantly  while  uttering  ear-splitting 
cries,  exhibiting  symptoms  suggestive  of  hy- 
drophobia.    In   the   hospital,   where   he  was 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  139 

manacled,  his  acute  mania  turned  into  a 
chronic  state;  his  excitement  moderated,  and 
the  delusive  ideas  assumed  fixedness  and  con- 
sistency :  a  sad,  sad  pathological  sign.  Two 
weeks  after,  he  was  pronounced  harmless,  but 
incurably  insane. 

The  patient  was  so  mild  that  his  physicians 
allowed  him  daily  to  wander  about  the  grounds 
adjoining  the  institution.  One  evening,  at 
supper,  they  missed  him.  As  he  was  not  dan- 
gerous, no  serious  search  was  undertaken.  It 
was  believed  he  would  return  when  hungry  ;  he 
never  did,  however.  The  opinion  prevails  that 
Said  fell  into  the  Nile  or  died  of  starvation. 

Under  such  melancholy  conditions,  the  idea 
of  benefiting  from  his  guide's  historical  re- 
searches became  repugnant  to  Eugene,  who 
thereupon  resolved  not  to  divulge  the  Khonnou 
records. 

Zuleika  heard  of  her  brother's  misfortune 
through  a  formal  missive  the  Frenchman  sent 
her.  Let  it  be  said  to  his  credit,  he  had  not 
addressed  this  girl  with  an  evil  intent.     Not- 


140  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

withstanding  his  frailty,  and  his  penchant 
toward  her,  he  held  himself  in  check  through 
pity  for  her  unhappy  brother.  Once  more,  as 
in  biblical  lore,  was  woman  to  be  the  tempter. 

Only  men  were  allowed  to  visit  the  patient, 
and  this  gave  the  little  flirt  an  excuse  for  writ- 
ing to  the  Franzoui  asking  him  to  keep  her 
informed  daily  about  her  brother's  health. 
This  request  upset  resolutions  that  had  not  been 
very  firm,  for  he  was  hardly  capable  of  holding 
a  long  siege  against  his  senses. 

The  Mohammedan  girl  knew  what  the  strict 
etiquette  of  her  religion  implied,  and  was  also 
fully  aware  that  writing  to  a  stranger  would  be 
regarded  as  reprehensible  even  in  his  own 
country.  She  ought  to  have  asked  for  news 
through  the  hospital  authorities.  Intuition 
said  all  this,  besides  warning  her  against  the 
possibility  of  repelling  a  man  by  making  ad- 
vances ;  nevertheless,  these  thoughts  were  cast 
aside  by  the  winds  of  her  passion  as  are  dead 
leaves  by  an  approaching  storm. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  141 

Carmen    is   right   when    she    sings   about 

Cupid's  disdain  of  law : 

"  L'amour  est  enfant  de  Boheme, 
II  n'a  jamais  connu  de  loi." 

After  Said's  case  was  declared  chronic  there 
existed  no  longer  any  excuse  for  the  correspon- 
dence ;  in  spite  of  this,  it  grew  more  frequent. 
The  Parisian's  tone  of  condolence  smoothly 
drifted  to  one  of  admiration,  while  her  grateful 
phrases  donned  a  coquettish  dress.  Woman 
ever  needs  to  lean  upon  some  man,  be  he  real 
or  ideal,  and  in  hours  of  trial,  either  sex  is 
impelled  to  ask  for  sympathy.  In  the  begin- 
ning, an  unhappy  sister  had  merely  longed  to 
speak  of  her  brother  to  a  consoling  friend ;  to- 
day, goaded  on  by  his  gallantry,  the  budding 
woman  in  Zuleika — an  organism  that  through 
passionate  ancestors  had  pent-up  the  energy  of 
an  Egyptian  sun — needed  much  more  than 
flattering  messages.  She  now  desired  to  lay 
her  head  upon  her  hero's  bosom  and  breathe 
there  gently ;  without  knowing  why,  she  also 
felt  an  irresistible  craving  to  see  his  eye  rever- 


142  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

berate  the  flame  that  lit  her  eye,  to  hear  his 
voice  echo  the  verses  in  her  heart,  to  feel  her- 
self entwined,  helpless,  suffocated  in  his  mus- 
cular arms,  and  to  burn  of  the  fi/ e  in  the  blood 
of  his  lips. 

The  opposite  of  such  a  feeling  was  develop- 
ing in  Eugene,  and  her  image  grew  dimmer 
day  by  day.  Solitude  might  have  kept  alive 
his  interest  in  her;  his  minutes,  however, 
were  so  well  taken  up  with  recreations  that, 
even  had  he  been  attached  to  this  young  in- 
digene, he  could  not  have  found  much  time  to 
think  of  her.  From  breakfast  to  five  o'clock 
tea — golf,  lawn  tennis,  driving,  riding,  sailing, 
and  shooting ;  from  dinner  to  bed  hours — the 
opera,  the  cafS,  a  musicale  at  some  hotel,  and 
a  hop  at  the  English  Agency,  successively 
occupied  him. 

"  Man's  love  is  of  man's  life  a  thing  apart 
'Tis  woman's  whole  existence." 

Had  it  not  been  for  her  ingenuous  commu- 
nications, the  violinist  would  have  forgotten  the 
native  songstress  before  this.  Although  she 
reigned  supreme  in  his  soul  but  a  fortnight 
ago,  another  queen  had  already  dethroned  her. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  143 


XIII. 

The  new  sovereign  was  Mabel  Wilson,  a 
handsome  and  cultured  English  girl  of  twenty- 
two.  This  tall  and  well-moulded  young  woman 
usually  wore  a  natty  sailor  hat  over  her  mass 
of  brown  hair.  Tailor-made  gowns  fitted  her 
voluptuous  form  like  a  glove.  During  the  day 
all  her  jewelry  consisted  of  two  tiny  pearls  on 
the  man's  shirt  she  wore.  The  blood  of  peach 
blossoms  seemed  to  course  under  her  skin,  so 
rosy,  so  fresh  was  her  complexion.  Although 
the  smile  upon  her  slightly  curved  lips  was 
somewhat  disdainful  when  she  addressed  men, 
they  thought  it  bewitching.  In  color  and 
limpidity  her  eyes  evoked  in  the  memory  the 
waters  of  Capri's  enchanting  grottoes. 

Miss  Wilson's  social  status  was  all  that  could 
be  wished ;  her  two  maternal  uncles  were  in  the 


144  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

House  of  Lords,  and  her  yearly  income  ex- 
ceeded twenty  thousand  sterling.  This  last 
qualification  had  attracted  Eugene ;  without  it, 
he  would  have  paid  only  the  usual  attentions  a 
distinguished  woman  inspires.  His  violin, 
like  the  revolving  mirror  that  draws  birds  to  a 
hunter,  had  so  often  brought  him  girls  with 
physical,  mental,  and  social  attributes  equal- 
ing Mabel's  that  he  might  have  found  nothing 
extraordinary  in  this  additional  acquaintance. 

"Five  hundred  thousand  francs  a  year,  and 
so  well  endowed  otherwise !  Eugene,  my  boy, 
here  is  a  woman  worth  cultivating !  Should 
you  ever  decide  to  marry,  where  could  you  find 
a  better  combination?"  Keflections  of  this 
sort  had  influenced  his  behavior  toward  Miss 
"Wilson,  and,  at  present,  he  was  quite  assiduous 
in  his  attentions. 

After  a  few  conversations  with  this  highly- 
educated  girl,  he  found  still  another  reason  for 
his  interest :  for  the  first  time  in  his  career,  he 
had  come  across  a  woman  he  could  not  read. 
Unable  to  guess  whether  she  cared  for  him, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  145 

he  felt  both  vexed  and  charmed ;  at  the  same 
time,  he  became  curious  to  ascertain  the  result 
of  his  machinations  to  ensnare  her.  When 
especially  piqued  by  her  indifference  and  invul- 
nerability, he  used  to  ask  himself : 

"Why  should  she  not  fall  in  love  like  the 
others?  I  have  met  her  every  day  during  the 
past  month :  would  she  have  tolerated  this  if 
she  did  not  enjoy  my  company  ?  With  her  I 
danced,  drank,  and — most  dangerous  of  all ! — 
with  her  I  played  Chopin.  Yet,  there  she 
stands  as  at  the  first  meeting,  simply  an  agree- 
able chum.  Those  English  people  are  un- 
fathomable !  If  her  gaze  were  not  so  penetrat- 
ing and  her  form  so  appetizing,  I  might  think 
there  is  only  a  brain  in  that  body  !" 

Mabel  Wilson  was  the  personification  of  the 
finer  Anglo-Saxon  type.  Compared  to  a  Latin 
woman,  she  might  seem  undemonstrative  and 
overreserved,  lacking  in  intensity  and  expres- 
sion ;  but  the  wise  physiognomist  would  soon 
discover  that  her  cold  and  dignified  exterior 
was  exhibited  only  to  better  hide  a  generous 


146  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

and  affectionate  temperament.  A  French  girl 
might  be  more  prodigal  of  sweet-sounding 
phrases  and  eloquent  gestures;  Mabel,  how- 
ever, was  less  avaricious  of  unselfish  deeds. 
If  the  curves  and  motions  of  the  southerner's 
form  were  more  aesthetic,  the  roses  on  the 
cheeks  and  the  firm  step  of  the  northern 
maiden  indicated  gifts  far  greater :  health  and 
strength — blessings  peculiarly  enjoyed  by  the 
English  mother  who,  alone,  has  contributed 
more  to  the  greatness  of  the  British  Empire 
than  have  all  its  soldiers,  financiers,  and  states- 
men. 

This  young  lady  had  learned  to  curb  the 
soarings  of  her  heart.  It  was  with  regret  she 
saw  young  friends  give  unrestrained  play  to 
their  emotions.  More  than  once  had  she  ad- 
vised a  giddy  lass  thus : 

" Beware,  friend!  Though  I  am  not  pessi- 
mistic, I  can  see  the  world  as  it  is.  My 
opinion  is  that  the  enjoyments  of  life  and  love 
are  often  but  a  cruel  trap  in  an  alluring  garb. 
Women  fall  too  easily  into  such  spangled  nets. ' 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  H7 

Few  men  could  look  imperturbably  into 
those  calm  clear  eye3  and  that  unctuous  face 
while  listening  to  her  mocking  lips  replying 
to  their  platitudes  in  an  ironical,  though  suave, 
voice.  So  excellent  a  logician  was  she,  and  so 
incisively  did  her  sarcasm  cut  when  occasion 
required,  that,  though  her  discourse  was 
always  refined,  it  disconcerted  the  numerous 
flatterers  a  wealthy  girl  is  bound  to  encounter. 
In  fact,  her  repartees  had  made  her  unpopular 
with  practically  all  the  men  she  knew.  Virile 
mentality  in  a  woman  is  rarely  enjoyed  by  the 
sterner  sex.  Although  expressed  in  a  soft 
tone  and  gentle  manner,  her  wit  chilled  fortune- 
hunters.  Even  among  the  many  worthy  ad- 
mirers who  prized  her  for  herself  alone,  not 
one  had  discerned  that  a  fine  mind  and  a  broad 
education  were  no  bar  to  truly  feminine  aspi- 
rations ;  and  Eugene,  like  everybody  else,  had 
been  unable  to  perceive  that  this  girl's  dearest 
hope  was  similar  to  that  of  her  humblest  and 
silliest  sister,  which  is,  to  love  and  be  loved. 
The  college-bred  young  woman  moderated  her 


148  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO* 

laughter  and  tears  so  well  by  syllogisms  that 
no  one  could  read  beneath  the  frigid  surface. 
God  alone  had  witnessed  the  awful  inner 
storms  unchained  by  the  repression  of  her 
deep  feelings. 

This  Frenchman's  analysis  of  the  capricious 
sex  had  taught  him  that  Mabel  was  of  an  un- 
usual brain  caliber,  and  should  be  treated 
accordingly.  He,  therefore,  invariably  ad- 
dressed her  as  a  mental  equal.  That  was  the 
secret  of  his  success  in  this  instance.  Had  he 
used  condescension  and  talked  upon  light 
themes,  as  if  she  were  a  child — precisely  what 
intellectual  men  are  in  the  habit  of  doing  with 
most  women — he  would  not  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  her  society  two  consecutive  min- 
utes. Their  conversation  generally  embraced 
serious  subjects,  and,  at  times,  it  waxed  quite 
warm,  for  she  fearlessly  expressed  her  views. 

To  the  query,  "What  do  you  think  of  my 
nation?'  'she  frankly  answered  Eugene  one  after- 
noon, as  they  were  about  to  go  out  horseback 
riding : 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  149 

"Your  women  are  frivolous  and  your  men 
indelicate,  below  the  varnish  of  their  graceful 
manners.  I  do  not  admire  the  character  of 
your  people.  Their  modern  literature  and 
private  and  public  conduct  border  too  much 
upon  grossness.  The  absence  of  impure  sug- 
gestions in  our  diction,  oral  or  written,  and 
also  in  our  demeanor,  is  a  proof  of  the  moral 
superiority  of  the  English. '  * 

"Do  you  base  your  judgment  of  a  race  solely 
upon  a  branch  of  its  ethics?  Accordingly  you 
might  maintain  that  Athenians  and  Eomans 
were  inferior  to  Britons. ' ' 

"I  think  they  were.  Achievements,  though 
remarkable,  cannot  make  a  race's  greatness 
lasting  without  a  sound  ethical  foundation. 
I  believe  England  is  the  moral  paragon  of 
Greece  and  Home,  and  I  am  certain  that  she 
shall  fall  like  them  if  she  ever  lower  her  stand- 
ards of  living  to  the  level  of  those  ancient 
nations. ' ' 

"Allow  me  to  observe,  my  dear  Miss  Wil- 
son, that  appearances  as  regards  peoples  may 


150  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

deceive,  just  as  they  do  with  individuals. 
During  my  short  stay  in  England,  it  is  possi- 
ble I  have  drawn  erroneous  conclusions ;  what- 
ever be  the  case,  my  inference  is  that  there 
exists  much  cant  and  hypocrisy  that  passes  for 
morality  in  your  country.  The  Frenchman  is 
a  boaster,  he  exaggerates  the  evil  he  does,  and 
sometimes  glories  in  adventures  that  took  place 
only  within  his  quixotic  cranium.  Your  Eng- 
lish chap,  on  the  contrary,  keeps  mum  about 
actual  facts  of  this  character.  Oh !  he  may 
claim  to  have  'got  beastly  drunk,'  or  to  'have 
imbibed  maw  than  all  the  other  fellows  to- 
gethah, '  but  upon  the  theme  of  woman  his 
mouth  is  sealed.  Does  this  prove  higher 
ethical  ideals  ?  Is  he  not  perhaps  adding  false- 
ness to  greater  sins?" 

""Well,  Monsieur  Duprez,  granting  that  your 
premises  are  correct,  you  will  admit  that  drink- 
ing is  a  lesser  vice.  If  the  Britisher  also  com- 
mits greater  wrongs  and  is  ashamed  of  them 
instead  of  loudly  advertising  them,  he  is  not  so 
contaminating  as  your   coarse  fanfaron.     Bad 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  161 

precepts  are  very  censurable,  for  they  may 
affect  the  innocent  quite  as  effectively  as  bad 
examples.  Consider,  for  instance,  the  flip- 
pancy with  which  your  writers  treat  the  rela- 
tions of  the  sexes.  Can  this  be  condemned  too 
sternly  ?  In  such  matters,  the  severity  even  of 
the  Puritans,  though  absurd  as  everything 
immoderate  is,  would  conduce  to  more 
national  well-being  than  your  Gallic  license, 
your  esprit  gaulois.  In  your  books,  your 
plays,  your  journals,  and  in  your  daily  dis- 
courses you  trifle  too  of  ten  with  sacred  objects. 
The  greater  number  of  your  geniuses  make  it 
their  main  business  to  ridicule  religion  and 
marriage — the  keystone  of  every  nation!  I 
have  misgivings  about  France's  future,  es- 
pecially on  account  of  her  irreligious  tendency. 
The  State  rests  upon  a  spiritual  harmony  be- 
tween the  government  and  the  people.  To  be 
lasting  it  must  be  founded,  as  the  English 
power  is,  upon  a  uniform  faith  and  church. 
The  body  politic,  like  the  human  muddy  ves- 
ture, when  separated  from  its  spirit,  decays. 


152  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

"I  suppose,  as  a  matter  of  course,  you  think 
little  of  the  grand  impulse  of  '93 — a  civilizing 
movement  that  had  no  religion  whatsoever; 
still,  in  spite  of  this,  it  did  more  to  emancipate 
humanity  by  establishing  the  lofty  principle 
of  the  Eights  of  Man,  than  have  done  all  the 
other  epochs  combined. ' ' 

1 *  Religion  beneath  the  better  principles  of 
that  revolution  would  have  ennobled  it  and 
made  its  good  enduring.  Do  you  not  already 
observe  a  crumbling  away  of  the  higher  ideals 
in  those  countries  that  disdain  their  fathers' 
faith?  Do  you  not  think  France  is  making  a 
social  and  political  blunder  in  alienating  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  from  her — an  organi- 
zation that  lighted  Europe  for  twenty  cen- 
turies, notwithstanding  some  bad  popes? 
Black  sheep,  you  know,  may  be  found  in  the 
best  of  flocks." 

"The  church  was  not  keeping  abreast  with 
the  advance  and  aspirations  of  my  nation. 
Had  it  ruled  to  this  day  its  citizens  would  not 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  153 

have  their  political  prerogatives,  pre-eminent 
among  which  stands  the  universal  suf- 
frage. ' ' 

"Universal  suffrage!  A  pretty  thing  that 
is!  Do  you  really  believe  the  best  reforms 
came  through  this  blessing?  I  am  convinced 
that  the  most  essential  good  subjects  have 
derived  from  governments  has  almost  always 
come  from  enlightened  and  benevolent  states- 
men and  rulers,  in  a  word,  from  intelligent 
minorities.  I  have  no  faith  in  the  wisdom  of 
the  will  of  the  people.  Les  foules  sont  folles  ! 
Universal  suffrage  is  a  euphonious  phrase, 
nothing  more.  It  is  so  well  known  to  be 
abused  and  powerless  that  the  better  citizens 
where  it  prevails  ofttimes  abstain  from  vot- 
ing through  disgust  and  discouragement,  con- 
vinced as  they  are  of  the  futility  of  their 
efforts  against  the  schemes  of  politicians. 
Universal  suffrage,  when  it  is  allowed  free 
play,  hands  the  power  not  to  the  wise,  not  to 
the  worthy :  under  the  guise  of  liberty,  a 
nation  places  a  commercial  yoke  upon  its  own 


154  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

neck  for  the  benefit  of  a  dozen  unscrupulous 
tradesmen. " 

■  'According  to  you,  then,  an  absolute  mon- 
archy would  be  the  preferable  form  of  govern- 
ment, and  the  sovereignty  of  the  people  with 
their  parliamentary  rights  ought  not  to  be 
granted. ' ' 

"That  is  precisely  my  view.  A  wise  and 
kindly  potentate  is  better  than  your  political 
freebooter.  You  may  tell  me  that  a  king 
might  be  of  the  freebooter  sort.  To  this  I 
can  answer  there  is  less  likelihood  of  a  royal 
ruler  being  dishonest  and  unpatriotic  than 
might  be  the  case  with  irresponsible  men  un- 
trained to  rule.  Kesponsibility  and  hereditary 
nobility  develop  character.  A  great  personal 
duty  rests  upon  a  king:  he  must  answer  to  his 
family,  to  his  kingdom,  and  to  the  world  for 
all  his  acts.  On  the  other  hand,  your  depute 
seldom  feels  much  responsibility  beyond  that 
he  owes  himself  of  assuring  his  own  re-elec- 
tion. And  of  that,  you  may  be  certain,  he 
takes  precious  care  from  the  hour   he   enters 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  155 

office.  I  would  compare  the  members  of  a  par- 
liament to  the  holders  of  stock  in  a  corpora- 
tion. Shareholders  never  feel  remorse,  though 
they  may  draw  extra  dividends  through  the 
dishonest  action  of  their  company's  officials. 
The  corporate  body  has  no  soul,  nor  have  par- 
liaments. The  framers  of  a  legislative  act 
may  know  that  their  law  is  unjust,  biased, 
partisan,  yet,  gladly  extract  from  it  all  the 
personal  advantages  they  can.  Wherever 
there  are  many  heads,  Monsieur  Duprez,  re- 
sponsibility must  be  divided,  and,  conse- 
quently, weakened.  It  is  largely  on  this 
account  that  I  regard  the  republican  form  of 
government  as  a  failure.  • ' 

"You  are  radical  indeed  in  your  conserva- 
tism, if  I  may  be  permitted  the  paradox.  For 
all  that,  it  seems  to  me  you  ought  not  to  allow 
your  enthusiasm  about  an  ideal  State  to  make 
you  forget  facts  advantageous  to  my  sido. 
Take,  for  example,  the  right  of  discussion  in 
elective  assemblies.  Has  it  not  more  than  once 
produced  incalculable  good  by  giving  oppor- 


156  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

tunities  to  special  geniuses  for  the  elucidation 
of  momentous  national  questions?" 

"Theoretically,  yes:  in  principle,  parlia- 
ments do  seem  perfect.  What  is  the  actual 
fact,  however?  The  right  of  public  discussion 
is  mainly  used  for  the  aims  and  interests  of 
the  few  individuals  who  participate  in  it, 
mostly  to  gratify  their  vanity  and  selfishness. 
There  is  little  doubt  in  my  mind  that  those 
who  reach  the  highest  political  posts  are  not 
your  best  men.  These  would  be  modest  and 
studious  while  your  politician  must  be  the  op- 
posite of  this  to  reach  his  goal.  The  more 
arrogant,  ambitious,  and  unscrupulous  is  he, 
the  quicker  he  induces  his  sheepish  constitu- 
ents to  give  him  a  role  in  the  legislative 
farce. ' ' 

At  this  juncture  a  footman  announced  that 
the  horses  were  ready,  and  relieved  Eugene  of 
the  annoyance  to  refute  additional  arguments. 
He  loathed  polemics  with  women,  and  had 
entered  the  arena  with  this  exceptional  girl 
solely  to  produce  a  favorable  impression  upon 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  157 

her,  not,  as  she  supposed,  for  mental  gratifica- 
tion. 

While  they  galloped  toward  the  Khedive's 
Palace,  it  was  with  satisfaction  he  noted  that 
Mabel's  thoughts  became  trivial,  and  their 
utterance  desultory  as  the  rhythm  of  the 
Arabian  ponies. 


158  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


XIV. 

'T  is  night,  the  sweet  and  terrible  hour  that 
lends  its  dark  veil  to  lovers'  wooings  or  to 
haters'  blows.  The  white  rays  from  above, 
intercepted  by  the  foliage  of  palms,  trace 
fanciful  shadows  upon  the  yellow  paths  of  the 
Ezbekieh  Gardens.  Save  an  occasional  tin- 
kling from  a  stagnant  fountain  in  the  distance, 
and  the  faint  hollow  noise  made  at  rare  inter- 
vals by  a  lonely  fish  gobbling  up  a  drowning 
fly  on  the  water's  surface,  the  tepid  air  is  still, 
and  all  the  fauna  sleep. 

All  at  once  a  vapory  form  appears  as  if 
skimming  swiftly  over  the  road,  like  a  small 
sail-yacht  over  a  tranquil  sea.  As  it  ap- 
proaches, a  wide  silken  habarah  is  perceived 
completely  enveloping  feminine  curves  that 
terminate  on  the  ground  in  sharply -pointed 
slippers    of    red    satin.     It   is    an   Arabian, 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  159 

neither  a,fellahin  nor  from  a  bey's  harem;  she 
evidently  belongs  to  the  merchant  class.  Her 
face  is  hidden  from  the  middle  of  the  nose  by 
a  long  piece  of  white  gauze  which  grows  nar- 
rower as  it  descends  to  the  hem  of  her  baggy 
cloak.  The  lower  portion  of  the  forehead  and 
her  large  flashing  eyes,  made  unnecessarily 
wider  by  kohl,  and  shining  like  fireflies,  are 
the  only  visible  parts  of  the  head.  She  ad- 
vances rapidly  and  noiselessly  on  tiptoe, 
feline-like,  which  motion,  seen  from  afar, 
causes  her  white  mantle  to  resemble  a  boat 
sailing  over  the  earth.  Straight  ahead  she 
proceeds  while  hastily  scrutinizing  the  benches 
on  each  side  of  the  roadway,  as  if  looking 
for  some  one. 

Suddenly  she  turns  to  the  left,  whence  a 
voice  in  an  undertone  calls : 

"Zuleika!" 

According  to  her  peculiar  morality,  woman 
views  right  and  wrong ;  just  because  she  is 
weak,  she  may  resort  to  cunning  and  treachery. 
Like  the  slave  or  the  child  she   prevaricates 


160  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

through  naiveti  or  necessity.  Zuleika  argued 
within  herself  before  resolving  to  write  Eugene 
to  meet  her  in  these  gardens.  She  decided  it 
was  unbecoming  to  see  him  there;  and  was 
ashamed  to  use  the  pretext  of  wishing  to  ask 
about  her  brother's  health ;  yet,  this  was  the 
only  course  her  light  indicated,  and  she  re- 
sorted to  it  to  attain  her  end. 

In  the  bad  actions  of  women,  it  is  nearly 
always  love  that  prompts :  this  ennobles  her 
vengeance,  or,  at  least,  palliates  her  crime. 
When  she  flings  vitriol  at  the  face  of  her  per- 
fidious lover,  when  she  slanders  a  rival  or 
shoots  the  faithless  father  of  her  children,  we 
may  curse  her  folly,  her  weakness,  her  abnor- 
mal instinct  of  self-preservation  in  the  sphere  of 
the  sentiments,  but  we  should  also  pity  her  for 
being  so  violently  impelled  by  feelings  that  are 
as  natural  to  this  impulsive,  child-like  sex,  as 
heat  is  to  the  sun.  Back  of  her  awful  act 
there  was  the  genuine  affection  wounded  to  the 
quick,  and  the  anguish  of  dark  despair  may 
have  made  her  mad. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  161 

If  ever  the  dream  of  the  emancipation  of 
woman  become  realized,  then  may  she  be 
judged  and  condemned  upon  the  same  bases  as 
man ;  until  that  day,  her  wrongs  ought  to  be 
weighed  in  other  scales.  Most  of  the  purposes 
of  man  center  upon  honors,  fortune,  power; 
with  woman,  it  is  not  thus  yet :  these  are  not 
her  sole  aims.  Having  been  kept  as  a  play- 
thing or  as  a  beast  of  burden,  according  to  the 
sensuality  or  sordidity  of  her  master,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  her  ethical  principles  now  and 
then  startle  him. 

A  debilitating  environment  has  lowered  the 
morality  of  many  others  besides  downtrodden 
woman.  Servile  classes  of  either  sex  wear  on 
their  forehead  the  brand  of  their  condition. 
The  stigma  of  a  slave  is  impressed  upon  the 
human  conscience  irrespective  of  sex.  The 
serfs  of  Kussia,  the  coolies  of  the  Far  East, 
the  Jews  of  the  Orient,  and  the  blacks  of 
countries  where  the  whites  rule,  having  been 
oppressed  for  centuries,  show  foibles  that  we 
condemn — we,  the  very  ones  who  made  fawn- 


162  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

ing  and  lying  necessary  to  the  preservation  of 
those  weaker  human  species ! 

Zuleika's  morality  had  been  shaped  by  her 
surroundings,  and  the  idea  of  dissimulation 
mastered  her  finer  sensibilities.  The  desire  to 
possess  her  ideal  mate  had  compelled  her  to 
resort  to  a  subterfuge,  which,  in  her  inexperi- 
enced brain,  was  the  only  means  at  hand.  The 
emotion  of  her  soul  desiring  to  unite  itself  to 
what  it  deemed  was  best,  that  sentiment  of 
tenderness  toward  the  creature  inspiring  it,  that 
limitless  thirst  for  mysterious  joys,  in  a  word, 
love!  would  have  made  this  innocent  girl 
stop  at  nothing,  not  even  at  crime. 

"What  excuse  did  you  give  your  servant  for 
leaving  the  house  at  this  hour?" 

"None.  She  does  not  know  I  left  it.  I 
stepped  out  of  the  window  of  my  room, "  an- 
swered she,  almost  inaudibly,  fearing  to  be 
overheard. 

"I  am  sorry  we  must  meet  in  this  clandestine 
manner.  I  ought  not  to  have  allowed  it. 
There  is  nothing  concerning  Said  that  could 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  163 

not  have  been  communicated  to  you  by  mail. 
Your  solicitude,  I  fear,  was  only  a  trick. 
Tell  me  candidly,  Zuleika,  why  did  you 
want  to  see  me?"  She  looked  steadfastly  at 
her  pink  finger  nails  without  responding. 
" Won't  you  tell  me?" 

This  interrogation  was  unnecessary.  He 
knew  the  motive  of  this  infatuated  girl's  con- 
duct. A  long  experience  with  her  sex  had 
acquainted  him  with  the  signification  of  ambig- 
uous feminine  signs.  In  a  few  cases  he  had 
been  misled  for  all  his  prognostications — some 
women  are  such  clever  actors !  In  this  partic- 
ular instance,  however,  he  saw  clearly  that  the 
little  Arab  loved  him.  The  serious  risk  she 
ran  in  meeting  a  Christian  here  at  this  hour 
would  alone  have  proved  that. 

After  vainly  awaiting  her  reply,  he  con- 
tinued : 

"You  are  a  most  seductive  and  beauti- 
ful being,  but  I  feel  too  sincere  a  sympathy  for 
your  brother,  and  therefore,  I  do  not  wish  to 
take  advantage  of  his  helplessness.     You  will 


1&4  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

D^ver  &bqw  what  struggles  this  sacrifice  costs 
me  It  ia  best  thus,  though;  so,  go  Zuleika! 
go  away,  my  child!  Eeturn  to  your  quiet 
home  and  forget  me.  For  Said's  sake,  let  me 
act  nooiy  once  in  my  sinful  life.  Adieu! 
Leave  me,  I  say!" 

"I  wouldn't  go  away!"  mumbled  she,  in  a 
sobbing  voice.  "Though  you  don't  care  for 
me,  I  love  you!     Oh!  how  I  do  love  you!" 

"Zuleika,  my  dear  girl,  I  insist  you  should 
go  home.  You  deserve  a  better  fate  than  you 
now  foolishly  seek.  Don't  be  childish!  Stop 
your  crying  and  go!" 

"Kill  me,  my  beloved!  my  king!  but  do 
not  reject  me.  Let  me  live  with  you,  I  im- 
plore! I'll  be  your  servant,  your  slave,  your 
dog!  I*  11  eat  the  crumbs  that  fall  off  your 
table,  but  I  must  live  and  die  near  you." 
Prostrate  at  his  feet  she  was  convulsively 
weeping  and  ejaculating:  "Oh!  take  me 
along,  or  kill  me.  Death  at  your  hands  would 
be  sweeter  than  life  without  you!" 

Mortals  desire  objects  in  proportion  as  they 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  165 

are  hard  to  get,  and  woman  is  peculiarly 
affected  by  this  weakness.  Often  the  surest 
means  to  win  her  tenderest  regard  is  to  scorn 
it.  Eugene's  frowns  had  only  served  to  make 
Zuleika's  flame  burn  the  fiercer.  The  idea 
that  he  did  not  share  her  attachment,  though 
maddening,  acted  as  an  additional  spur  to  her 
strong  will. 

This  heartless  deceiver  did  not  need  to  pre- 
varicate to  women,  or  make  false  vows,  for  he 
knew  that  to  seem  better  than  he  was  would  not 
gain  him  the  quicker  a  woman's  affection.  So 
he  was  brutally  frank  and  outspoken.  Upon 
various  occasions  he  had  told  a  loving  girl  whom 
he  might  wish  to  enslave :  "I  am  undeserving  of 
so  good  a  woman  as  you.  There  are  many 
men  wiser,  handsomer,  richer  than  I  who  would 
be  proud  of  your  love.  It  is  best  to  forget 
me.  You  know,  anyway,  that  I  cannot  feel 
deeply,  that  my  soul  is  but  gross  and  cold, 
whilst  the  purest  sentiment  should  inspire  me. ' ' 

Some  of  Eugene's  acquaintances  believed 
that  his  success  with  the  unreflecting,  flighty, 


166  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

contrary  sex  was  largely  due  to  this 
diplomatic  candor,  and  they  agreed  with  him 
that  to  win  the  earth's  most  precious  jewel — 
woman's  love — scruples  are  not  invariably 
required. 

Aside  from  the  fact  that  indifference  fre- 
quently charms  and  attracts  Eve's  daughters : 
are  not  the  frivolous  and  lewd  dandies  often 
their  chosen-elect?  In  the  chase  after  a  fair 
one  does  the  virtuous  man  always  outrun  the 
impostor? 

The  submission  of  instinct  to  reason  is  the 
grandest  human  victory,  but  this  sensual 
Frenchman  was  improperly  armed  for  so  great 
a  conquest  over  himself.  In  the  beginning  of 
Zuleika's  outbursts  he  was  moved  only  by  pity 
mixed  with  pride  at  being  worshipped  by  so 
beauteous  a  being;  later,  his  agitation  grew 
almost  uncontrollable,  and  everything  tended 
to  enfeeble  his  resistance.  Again  he  appealed 
to  her  Koran,  to  her  brother's  affection;  once 
more  he  depicted  the  bitterness  of  the  days  of 
inevitable  separation :  'twas  all  in  vain. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  167 

"And  if  Said  recovers  his  reason  what  will 
he  say?" 

To  all  his  pleadings  she  simply  murmured, 
eagerly  looking  into  his  eyes : 

"I  love  you.     Oh!  how  I  do  love  you!" 

When  planning  to  dissuade  her,  he  had 
reckoned  without  that  extroardinary  stubborn- 
ness and  his  own  propensities.  Now  close  to 
her,  the  fascinating  physical  charms  attracted 
his  weak  flesh  as  an  immense  magnet  would 
draw  stray  bits  of  steel.  With  trembling 
hands  he  held  her  doll-like  face  while  his 
cheeks  were  aglow  and  his  eyes  bulged  out, 
shedding  their  steel-cold  rays;  and  at  this 
supreme  instant,  with  lips  embalmed  by  the 
honey  of  her  lips,  he  caressingly  sighed : 

"Divine  angel!  Ineffable  Venus!  Am  I 
dreaming?  Lives  there  another  so  entranc- 
ing? Yes,  my  pet!  my  little  darling!  come, 
come  with  me!" 


168  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


XV. 

The  two  French  visitors  had  prolonged  their 
sojourn  in  Egypt  beyond  the  original  inten- 
tion. The  young  man's  days  fled  so  pleasantly 
in  the  cozy  Villa  des  Palmiers,  on  the  out- 
skirts of  Cairo,  where  he  had  installed  Zuleika, 
that  he  induced  his  old  friend  to  take  per- 
manent quarters  in  that  city.  One  year  had 
passed  agreeably,  and  the  Parisians  made  no 
plans  to  return  to  Europe.  They  were  satis- 
fied with  their  "sweet  do  nothing"  in  a  land 
where  the  long  balmy  winters  more  than  repaid 
for  the  disagreeableness  of  the  midsummer 
months. 

At  this  juncture  the  colonel  found  himself 
obliged  to  go  back  to  France,  owing  to  business 
interests  requiring  his  personal  supervision. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  every  incident 
had  but  tended  to  make  his  life  the  more 
blissful  since  he  arrived  in  the  Delta,  Eugene 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  109 

felt  joyous  at  the  idea  of  being  soon  again  in 
Paris.  His  enthusiasm,  it  is  true,  was  slightly 
dampened  by  some  remorse  at  the  thought  of 
leaving  his  affable  indigene,  but  he  easily  dis- 
pelled such  effeminate  notions. 

Her  affection  had  been  too  deep,  she  became 
too  devoted,  too  thoughtful — always  anticipat- 
ing his  every  wish — and,  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence, he  had  grown  tired  of  this  lingering 
sweetness.  Yet,  how  could  a  Mohammedan  as- 
sume aught  except  a  slavish  attitude  in  the  pres- 
ence of  her  traditional  master,  be  he  husband  or 
paramour?  The  quarrels  which  season  love's 
morsels  in  the  West  might  poison  in  the  East. 
It  is  sad  to  relate  that  Zuleika's  greatest 
enemy  was  her  self-abnegation  and  her  idola- 
try which,  having  lost  the  charm  of  newness, 
fatigued  this  blasS  fellow,  making  him  long  for 
a  rebellious,  yes,  a  treacherous  mistress,  in 
short,  for  "Anything  for  a  change!"  as  he 
often  exclaimed.  The  puerile  desire  to  have 
what  he  had  not,  what  might  prove  difficult  to 
obtain,  was  gaining  the   ascendency    over   his 


170  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

regard  for  a  being  too  easily  enslaved.  Besides 
this,  he  had  been  harassed  lately  by  the  belief 
that  he  was  neglecting  his  great  opportunity, 
Mabel  Wilson,  whom  he  felt  he  could  marry  if 
he  wished. 

"My  talent,"  mused  he  many  a  time,  "un- 
less backed  up  by  wealth,  will  not  enable  me 
to  reach  the  summit.  Gold !  gold  by  the  hand- 
fuls :  there  is  the  talisman  that  can  open  all 
portals!" 

When  the  colonel  announced  his  purpose  to 
pack  up  soon,  his  friend  said  to  himself: 

"Thank  heavens!  I  was  beginning  to  have 
enough  of  this  purposeless  existence.  I  shall 
soon  see  Mabel  and  tell  her  how  much  I  have 
languished  in  her  absence,  and  what  a  fool  I 
was  to  remain  in  this  forlorn  country  one 
minute  after  her  departure." 

"Now  that  we  must  leave  Egypt,"  remarked 
Colonel  Bon,  "I  must  speak  seriously  to  you. 
Until  this  moment  I  hesitated  to  unload  myself 
of  an  oppressing  thought,  but  to-day  I  cannot 
remain  silent  any  longer." 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  171 

The  young  man,  slightly  puzzled,  asked : 

"Why  should  you  hesitate  to  tell  me  any- 
thing, my  dear  colonel?  I  am  mystified  to 
think  there  could  be  one  fact,  however  signifi- 
cant or  insignificant,  that  you  would  keep  from 
me  a  single  hour. ' ' 

"The  case  is  this,  Eugene:  in  Paris  you 
should  not  live  with  a  concubine.  You  may 
say  to  me  that  scores  of  men  do  so  without 
being  ostracized  by  any  circle.  No  matter 
about  what  others  do.  I  tell  you  for  your  own 
sake,  for  the  sake  of  your  future  welfare,  you 
should  not  follow  such  examples. ' ' 

"What  made  you  think  I  would  jeopardize 
the  good  opinion  of  our  friends?  Most  as- 
suredly not.  I  resolved  long  ago  to  change 
my  mode  of  life  after  leaving  Africa. " 

"Oh!  bravo!  my  boy!  Then  you  intend  to 
marry  her,  eh?"  the  old  gentleman  applauded. 

A  glass  of  iced  water  thrown  in  Eugene's 
face  would  not  have  shocked  him  more. 

"What?  Marry  her?  You  are  joking. 
Marry  her?     Certainly  not!" 


172  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

"Would  you  then  abandon  the  poor  creature 
and  her  little  one?  That's  not  possible.  I 
must  have  misunderstood  you." 

"You  have  understood  me  perfectly.  I  do 
not  intend  to  take  Zuleika  along. ' ' 

"You  would  leave  her!  Is  it  possible? 
Have  I  all  these  years  nourished  a  viper  in  my 
bosom?"  and  shaking  his  head  very  slowly 
while  looking  into  his  friend's  face  as  if  to 
unfathom  the  spirit  behind  it,  the  philan- 
thropist continued :  "Is  she  not  an  ideal  wife, 
though  no  man  has  united  you?  Are  you  not 
the  father  of  her  babe?" 

"She  is  all  that  could  be  desired,  colonel, 
and  I  feel  sorry ;  nevertheless,  I  must  abandon 
her.  I'll  give  her  several  thousand  francs  and 
the  villa :  that  is  more  than  most  men  would 
do.  Marry  her!  The  idea!  Preposterous! 
She " 

"And  why  not?"  dryly  interrupted  the 
count,  whose  jovial  physiognomy  had  now 
assumed  a   fierce  air. 

"Because  I  am  ambitious.     Thanks  to  my 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  173 

professional  reputation,  I  may  find  a  wife  in 
the  best  set — one  with  a  dowry,  too.  This 
Egyptian,  notwithstanding  her  goodness  and 
beauty,  would  drag  me  down.  She  is  certainly 
very  lovely,  loving,  lovable,  and  may  God 
grant  her  the  happiness  she  so  richly  merits. 
I  do  not  expect  to  find  another  woman  so  ten- 
der, so  charming  as  this  pretty  African.  But, 
dear  friend,  my  career  is  in  the  balance,  and  I 
must  silence  maudlin  sentiments.  I  am  am- 
bitious, I  tell  you,  very  ambitious !  It  is  bad 
enough  to  have  started  from  a  low  origin. 
Would  you  have  her  pull  me  back  there 
again  ?  Why  should  I  contract  a  vulgar  union 
and  miss  the  opportunities  for  which  I 
struggled  since  my  miserable  infancy?  For 
what,  pray,  tell  me?  For  sentimental  rea- 
sons? Tush!  I  am  not  going  to  ruin  my 
future  by  such  idiotic  considerations.  Let  the 
weak-kneed  and  soft-brained  do  that.  I  have 
not  forgotten  the  lesson  that  those  who  love 
must  suffer,  and  I  intend  to  keep  aloof  from 
the    debilitating    influences     of     tenderness. 


174  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

After  all,  I  never  felt  a  serious  passion  for 
Zuleika,  however  much  I  may  have  been  fasci- 
nated by  her  in  moments  gone  by. ' ' 

"My  boy,  your  words  belie  your  true  nature. 
I  cannot  believe  you  would  be  so  ignoble  as  to 
leave  this  child-mother.  I  know  full  well  that 
you  and  your  parents  have  endured  cruel  hard- 
ships, and  it  is  but  natural  the  remembrance 
should  bring  forth  a  bitter  taste,  making  you 
momentarily  misanthropic.  Yet,  I  am  certain 
that  you  are  just  and  gentle  when  in  your  nor- 
mal condition.  Would  you  make  this  poor 
creature  and  your  own  daughter  suffer  because 
Destiny  has  been  merciless  to  others?  That 
were  bad  logic  and  worse  morals.  She  is 
beautiful  and  devoted,  and  with  a  few  more 
years  of  training  she  will  shine  in  the  most 
select  drawing  room.  You  are  fully  aware 
what  an  apt  pupil  she  is.  You,  yourself,  have 
more  than  once  told  me  that,  already,  one 
might  take  her  for  a  European.  Don't  you 
recollect,  also,  how  often  you  have  spoke  feel- 
ingly   of   your   affection    for   her,  how   many 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  175 

times  you  said  that  life  without  her  would  be 
a  dismal  night?  Many,  many  a  time  have  you 
sworn  to  me  you  loved  Zuleika  with  all  the 
intensity  of  your  soul.  Kemember  that  even- 
ing when,  arm  in  arm,  we  walked  back  to  my 
hotel.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  how  excited  and 
frightened  you  were,  how  violent  was  your 
emotion,  through  sympathy  for  the  young 
mother  and  apprehension  for  her  life  and  that 
of  her  offspring.  You  vowed  that  night  you 
would  kill  yourself  should  Zuleika  die.  You 
loved  her  then,  my  boy,  and  don't  deceive 
yourself:  you  still  love  her  to-day !" 

The  young  man  stood  mute  and  sullen. 

"In  less  than  a  year,  "pursued  the  old  officer, 
"no  house  of  the  Faubourg  Saint-Germain 
shall  receive  a  more  accomplished  and  fascinat- 
ing lady  than  your  sweet  little  Arabian,  and 
I'll  be  proud  to  think  I  made  you  marry  her. 
You  cannot  plead  poverty;  your  art  enables 
you  to  earn  a  comfortable  income,  and  at  my 
death  you  shall  inherit  my  fortune. ' '  Patting 
Eugene  on  the  shoulder,  he  added:  "Now  be 


176  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

a  good  boy,  be  a  gentleman!  I  knew  you 
would  do  the  right  thing  by  that  girl. ' ' 

The  colonel's  voice  had  become  soft  and 
persuasive,  and  the  kindly  twinkle  in  his  moist 
eye  told  of  the  noble  emotion  which  he  at  this 
moment  felt.  In  his  inborn  goodness  he  was 
deluding  himself  with  the  idea  that  his  plead- 
ings had  been  effectual,  but  this  false  notion 
was  quickly  removed  by  an  explosion  of  angry 
impatience  from  his  well-mannered  proMgS, 
the  like  of  which  he  had  never  before  wit- 
nessed. 

"I  have  heard  enough  of  this!  You  were 
good  to  me,  very  good:  a  father  could  not 
have  been  better,  and  I  owe  you  more  than  I 
can  ever  repay.  For  all  that,  though  ex- 
tremely appreciative  I  be,  you  cannot  induce 
me  to  marry  against  my  wishes.  Not  even  my 
father  could  have  done  that !  Let  me  tell  you 
once  more,  and  for  all  time :  I  shall  not  marry 
that  woman!" 

"Very  well,"  quietly  said  the  colonel,  while 
he  drew  out  a   bulky  document  from  a  small 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  177 

strong  box  in  his  desk.  "Do  you  see  that? 
it  is  my  will ;"  so  saying  he  tore  it  into  pieces. 
This  action  seemed  to  revive  all  his  anger,  and 
now  thoroughly  incensed,  he  shouted:  "You 
cowardly  brute!  Don't  you  ever  speak  to  me 
again!" 

Before  these  words  were  pronounced  Eugene 
had  disappeared.  At  the  tearing  of  the  testa- 
ment, knowing  all  was  ended  between  himself 
and  guardian,  he  had  shrugged  his  shoulders 
and  dignifiedly  walked  out  of  the  apartment. 

The  kindness  of  Colonel  Bon  was  quite  un- 
like that  of  many  advocates  of  charity  whose 
lives  are  unbroken  chains  of  petty  selfishness, 
for  all  their  benevolent  maxims,  either  tacit  or 
expressed.  It  is  astounding  how  many  there 
are  who,  though  weeping  sincere  tears  during 
pathetic  scenes  in  a  play,  and  though  preaching 
eloquently  about  our  duty  toward  the  poor, 
yet  carefully  refrain  from  doing  a  good  deed, 
if  that  involve  the  slightest  personal  sacrifice. 

The  goodness  of  Count  de  Danvre  was  more 
than  theoretical  and  subjective :  it  extended  as 


178  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

far  as  his  wealth  and  the  occasion  allowed.  So 
lofty  a  nature  could  not  leave  this  wretched 
young  mother  to  the  future  that,  in  similar 
straits,  awaits  a  good-looking  and  helpless 
woman.  Eugene  had  no  sooner  left  than  the 
colonel  started  to  right  the  wrong.  Fearful 
that  the  outraged,  though  still  infatuated, 
Arabian  might  commit  suicide,  he  immediately 
drove  to  her  villa.  Had  he  understood  Zuleika 
he  would  not  have  entertained  that  fear.  The 
determination  to  reconquer  her  lover  sur- 
passed her  despair  at  losing  him,  and  the  im- 
perious will  that  had  remained  in  a  state  of 
lethargy  while  he  was  near,  at  this  awful  hour 
reasserted  itself  for  the  excellent  purpose  of 
checking  her  suicidal  impulses. 

After  reading  the  farewell  he  had  lacked  the 
courage  to  bid  in  person,  she  determined  to 
follow  the  father  of  her  babe  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  not  with  a  feeling  of  anger,  not  to 
revenge  herself  as  Christian  women  often  do — 
an  Oriental  could  hardly  be  actuated  by  such 
motives  toward  one  whom  she  regarded  as  the 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  179 

slave  does  his  master — Zuleika  merely  planned 
to  be  near  him  again  at  any  cost.  During  the 
joyful  months  passed  with  Eugene  she  had  not 
given  up  the  hope  of  striking  a  responsive 
chord  in  him,  although  he  never  abandoned 
himself  fully  to  transports  of  affection,  although 
he  had  never  said  to  her:  ' 'I  love  thee!" 
Her  disappointment,  her  heart-sinking  at  the 
realization  of  his  thinly-veiled  apathy,  always 
increased  the  faith  in  her  own  power  to  ulti- 
mately win  his  tenderest  regard. 

Man,  in  spite  of  his  logic,  gropes  in  the 
dark  as  to  the  morrow,  but,  when  a  girl  loves, 
no  matter  how  young  or  ignorant  she  be,  her 
insight  into  the  future  of  heart  affairs  is  often 
startlingly  prophetic.  Intuition  opened  to 
Zuleika  one  hopeful  page  in  the  book  of  Life. 
Having  observed  more  than  once  a  glimmer  of 
tenderness  in  her  idol's  eyes,  an  ineffable  ex- 
pression telling  more  vividly  than  words  and 
acts  that  he  was  vulnerable  to  some  thing,  what- 
ever that  might  be,  she  now  felt  certain  of  in- 
spiring his  love,   if  she  could  but  discover  the 


180  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

right  way  to  that  end.  Like  a  flash  the 
truth  lighted  her  soul :  clear  as  the  noonday 
sun  she,  at  this  despairing  crisis,  foresaw  that 
pity,  gratitude,  or  remorse,  mayhap  these 
three  sentiments  combined,  would  one  day  in- 
stil the  most  exalted  affection  into  his  hard 
and  impervious  heart. 

The  ardor  of  this  hope,  fanned  by  an  intense 
grief,  strengthened  her  will,  but  could  neither 
soothe  the  spirit  nor  stem  the  flow  of  tears. 
Time  alone  might  do  that.  After  the  perusal 
of  his  cruel  though  courteous  message,  uncon- 
sciousness, like  a  heaven-woven  veil,  softly 
descended  upon  the  forsaken. 

When  she  reopened  her  eyes,  the  maid  and 
Colonel  Bon  were  at  her  bedside.  Brave  and 
good  man !  He  had  come  to  satisfy  her  dearest 
wish. 

"You  are  young  and  pretty,  and  you  will 
soon  forget  him.  There  will  be  no  dearth  of 
better  and  richer  suitors  when  you  are  the 
educated  woman  I  intend  you  should  be.  To 
begin  with,  you  may  henceforth  regard  me  as 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  181 

a  father,  and  I  am  going  to  have  little  Eugenie 
baptized  as  Yicomtesse  de  Danvre,  if  you  don't 
object  to  my  adopting  her. ' ' 

Smiles  and  abundant  tears  expressed 
Zuleika's  joy.  Fortunately  the  colonel  did 
not  know  the  exact  cause  of  her  happiness,  and 
his  pleasure  remained  unalloyed  for  he  believed 
she  was  virtually  reconciled  to  her  situation, 
thanks  to  the  honors  and  material  comforts  he 
proffered.  The  fact  was,  her  bliss  resulted 
solely  from  the  belief  that  his  magnanimity 
would  enable  her  the  swifter  to  regain  her 
beloved. 

She  recalled  vividly  that  he  had  once  told 
her  while  holding  her  head  in  his  hands: 
"If  you  could  add  to  this  beauty  the  refinement 
of  Mabel,  I  might  love  you  to  desperation !" 
And  she  resolved,  while  Colonel  Bon  spoke : 

"I  shall  not  rest  until  I  acquire  the  manners 
of  a  European  lady." 

Women  do  not  forget  a  lover's  words. 
Though  they  be  ejaculated  in  jest  or  during 
irresponsible  moments  when  the  boiling  blood 


182  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

obscures  the  brain,  those  devoted  beings  store 
away  such  empty  sounds  in  their  memory  as  if 
they  were  priceless  jewels.  Without  wasting 
an  instant,  gentle  voices  harmonize  with  this 
passing  chord,  but  man  is  so  inconstant,  so 
inconsistent,  that  the  tones  in  his  soul  have 
nothing  of  music,  save  its  saddest  quality — its 
transitoriness.  No  sooner  has  he  sung  his 
verse  than  he  forgets  it  while,  alas!  within 
some  woman's  heart  it  must  ring  on  undying. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  183 


XVI. 

A  whole  year  has  dragged  on  its  weary  way 
without  bringing  news  of  Eugene.  In  vain  has 
Zuleika  written  to  opera  houses,  conservatories 
of  music,  and  theatrical  agencies:  "Poste 
Eestante,  Cairo,"  is  the  only  address  of 
Maestro  Duprez  they  know. 

She  is  certain  he  has  not  succumbed  to  a 
disease,  for  he  was  very  strong  and  healthy ; 
and  the  notion  that  he  might  have  committed 
suicide  through  remorse  is  absurd,  because, 
should  he  regret  his  conduct,  all  he  need  to  do 
is  to  return  and  be  welcomed  and  forgiven. 

Having  lost  track  of  him  from  the  day  she 
received  the  brutal  notice  of  his  departure,  she 
concludes  he  is  hiding  his  identity  to  escape 
her  importunities.  Zuleika  feels  sure  Eugene 
lives  in  France  under  an  assumed  name,  per- 
haps not  far  from  Paris,  and  the  bitterness  of 


184  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

her  life  is  attenuated  by  an  exultant  hope  of 
seeing  him  soon  again. 

Musical  and  literary  studies,  elocution, 
riding,  dancing,  and  fencing  leave  her  but  a 
few  hours  each  day  for  the  care  of  her  child, 
which  scarcely  needs  its  mother,  thanks  to  a 
thorough  nurse  the  colonel  has  hired  exclu- 
sively for  the  little  one.  The  absorption  of 
Zuleika's  time  is  a  blessing  especially  at  this 
period;  were  she  idle,  the  fixed  idea  to  find 
her  lover  would  unbalance  her  reason.  Even 
though  much  occupied,  she  is  often  obsessed 
by  thoughts  of  him.  It  frequently  happens 
that,  in  the  midst  of  absorbing  studies,  her 
mind  suddenly  becomes  a  blank,  and  she  finds 
herself  incapable  of  concentrating  her  ideas 
upon  the  subject  in  hand.  The  hero  of  every 
book  is  then  Eugene,  about  him  every  poem 
sings,  and  no  frame  encircles  an  image,  save 
that  of  his  features  beautifully  idealized  by 
her  love-sick  fancy. 

She  carefully  abstains  from  mentioning  his 
name  in  the  colonel's  presence,  although  no 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  185 

theme  of  conversation  could  be  sweeter  to  her 
and  to  him,  too,  for  that  matter ;  but  she  does 
not  know  he  still  loves  that  boy.  The  dignified 
silence  he  has  invariably  maintained  upon 
questions  relating  to  his  former  protege  led 
Zuleika  to  believe  it  would  be  distasteful  to 
him  to  hear  her  speak  of  Eugene;  and,  at 
times,  this  self-imposed  prohibition  to  ex- 
change views  regarding  the  only  subject  that 
interests  her,  a  leit-motiv  upon  which  the  wind 
sighs,  the  stream  gurgles,  and  the  birds 
twitter,  drives  her  poetic  soul  to  paroxysms  of 
anguish. 

In  the  solitude  of  her  boudoir  this  disdained 
Venus,  during  climaxes  of  insane  rage,  tears 
off  her  costly  velvet  peignoir  and  silken  under- 
garments ;  then,  majestically  as  a  Roman  Em- 
press, Zuleika  poses  before  her  mirror  in  the 
celestial  attire  God  Himself  made,  and  calmly 
surveys  the  beauteous  reflection.  Slowly  and 
admiringly  glides  her  glance  over  small  ankle, 
projecting  calf,  sensuous  hip,  undulating  torso, 
and  voluptuous  neck;  when  it  finally  lingers 


186  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

upon  the  cherubim  head  crowned  by  wondrous 
waves  of  lustrous  jet  black  hair,  the  abandoned 
charmer  haughtily  queries:  "Could  another 
offer  him  more?"  After  that,  she  clothes  her 
divine  form  and  sinks  upon  her  couch :  pray- 
ing, moaning,  cursing  until,  exhausted,  she 
sleeps. 

Every  day  Zuleika  scans  the  journals  expect- 
ing to  find  some  clew.  At  his  Paris  dSbut,  a 
new  violinist  may  always  depend  upon  two 
auditors :  a  maid  and  her  pretty  and  stylish 
young  mistress,  "a  rnignonnette  woma>jx  with  a 
skin  of  strange  hue,  and  with  eyes  that  could 
melt  steel. ' '  Thus  was  Zuleika  described  in 
Gil  Bias. 

Dreams  of  Eugene  frequently  disturb  her 
sleep.  Each  time  he  seems  to  appear  in  flesh 
and  blood.  Upon  awaking  she  tries  to  dis- 
sipate the  idea  that  he  has  manifested  himself 
in  person,  but  she  cannot:  it  clings  to  her 
mind  as  burr  to  the  hair. 

"It  is  absurd.  This  apparition  was  only  an 
hallucination,"  thinks  she,  "and  yet,  Eugene 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  187 

appeared  just  as  real  to  me  as  if  he  actually 
stood  within  the  reach  of  my  hand.  I  wonder 
whether  it  is  possible  to  behold  realities  during 
dreams.' ' 

Intelligent  and  quick  of  perception  though 
she  was,  this  young  woman  could  not  be  ex- 
pected to  stand  in  advance  of  most  psycholo- 
gists ;  and  these  certainly  deny  the  possibility 
of  clairvoyance  and  telepathy.  Thus  to  Zuleika 
these  dreams  at  first  were  but  meaningless 
states  of  consciousness;  now,  however,  owing 
to  their  frequency,  their  vividness,  and  their 
logical  sequence,  they  influenced  her  opinion 
until  she  became  convinced  her  nightly  visions 
portrayed  actualities. 

The  central  figure  in  the  imagery  is  always 
Eugene,  and  facts  revolve  about  him  in  a 
natural  order.  Each  night  brings  him  into  a 
different  scene,  the  incidents  of  which  seem 
rational  and  plausible;  many  of  these  are 
commonplace,  just  as  is  our  daily  life. 

In  the  beginning  of  his  absence  she  dreams 
he  sails  for   Marseilles   under   a   pseudonym, 


188  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

intending  to  hide  from  her  during  one  yean 
time  enough,  thinks  he,  to  enable  Zuleika  to 
forget  him.  Arriving  with  very  little  money 
he  gives  concerts  under  the  appellation  of 
Giovanni  Parodi ;  this  name  being  unknown  to 
critics  and  public,  the  receipts  barely  cover 
expenses,  and  his  manager  leaves  him  penni- 
less. A  gifted  artist,  whose  name  alone  would 
have  filled  a  concert  hall,  plays  to  empty 
benches  and  is  unfavorably  criticised.  The 
world  must  be  given  the  cue  when  to  applaud ; 
if  the  aspirant  after  its  laurels  come  un- 
heralded, he  is  usually  hooted,  however 
worthy  he  be. 

Later,  she  sees  Eugene  giving  violin  lessons 
to  the  young  son  of  a  titled  woman,  a  despica- 
ble creature  who  induces  the  virtuoso  to  elope 
with  her.  Having  no  means  of  subsistence, 
he  yields,  though  he  loathes  this  woman. 
Her  husband,  a  fellow  without  nerves,  simply 
seeks  a  legal  separation. 

Only  last  night  Zuleika  beheld  her  beloved 
at  the  window  of  his  library  which  looks  upon 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  189 

the  Champs  Ely  sees.  He  puffs  out  white 
clouds  of  smoke  and  lazily  watches  the  fantas- 
tical evanescent  silhouettes  they  trace  in  their 
tortuous  ascension. 

She  hears  him  muse: 

"When  man  is  resting  from  his  labors 
smoking  is  an  excellent  pastime :  it  acts  like 
a  Turkish  bath  to  the  mind  and  soothes  it  by 
diverting  the  ideas  from  their  habitual  grooves 
into  empty  space.  This  is  not  your  case, 
though,  you  loafer!  Nothing  to  do  day  in 
and  day  out.  Smoking  simply  to  dispel  bore- 
dom :  I,  whose  life  has  always  been  active  and 
hopeful.  Oh !  it  is  horrible  I  should  be  con- 
demned to  this  idleness!  It  will  drive  me 
mad,  if  it  lasts  much  longer.  Yet,  what  am  I 
to  do?  I  have  no  money  and  must  obey  :  she 
does  not  want  me  to  study.' ' 

He  feels  heavily  the  burden  of  his  soulless 
existence.     This  coarse  woman  has  told  him : 

"I  don't  want  you  to  play  any  better.  You 
will  always  do  well  enough  for  me,  and,  any- 
how, you  know  very  well  I  would  not  let  you 


190  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

play  in  public.     Do  you  suppose  I   long   to 
have  you  attract  rivals?" 

Her  large  fortune,  the  commanding  position 
she  held  until  this  latest  brazen  escapade,  and 
twenty  years  of  domination  over  a  namby- 
pamby,  silly-nilly  sort  of  a  husband  have  de- 
veloped in  her  an  arrogant,  imperious,  and 
tyrannical  character.  Eugene  realizes  that, 
though  she  is  infatuated  with  him,  he  has  no 
power  over  her. 

In  Zuleika's  dreams  the  puffs  of  smoke  con- 
tinue to  rise,  but  they  do  not  seem  to  alleviate 
his  deep  disgust.  The  dear  image  is  still  at 
the  library  window  reflecting : 

"In  a  sumptuous  house,  with  a  long  retinue 
of  servants,  and  yet,  lonely  and  depressed  as 
a  caged  sparrow,  though  his  roof  be  of  gold 
and  his  floor  of  pearls.  What  an  end  to  my 
career!  The  toy,  the  puppet  of  a  Lucretia 
Borgia!  Was  this  the  great  future  for  which, 
against  the  dictates  of  my  better  self,  I  aban- 
doned poor  Zuleika  and  her  child?  Yes  in- 
deed, the  colonel  was  right :  I  am  a  cowardly 
brute!" 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  191 

As  he  utters  this  sentence,  his  head  is  tightly 
drawn  to  the  left  by  an  automatic  muscular 
contraction,  and  he  looks  frowningly  and  sus- 
piciously toward  the  heavens  as  if  a  big 
threatening  eye  up  there  had  just  glared  at 
him.  The  upper  lip  rises  while  the  nostrils 
close,  although  there  are  no  offensive  odors 
about ;  between  the  expression  of  moral  pain 
and  of  physical  suffering  exist  many  analogies. 
Contempt  of  himself  gives  him  the  appearance 
caused  by  wounded  olfactory  nerves,  as  if 
nauseating  exhalations  from  a  decaying  soul 
had  crept  into  his  very  nostrils ! 

After  this  vision  Zuleika  remained  pensively 
awake  for  hours,  and  finally  yielded  to  sleep 
at  the  birth  of  day. 

Eugene  reappears  to  her,  this  time  in  the 
magnificent  hall  of  his  residence,  which  he 
jerkily  paces  up  and  down  like  a  captive 
hyena.     She  hears  him  exclaim  excitedly  : 

"Because  my  parents  left  no  money,  I  must 
carry  their  cross  with  the  rest  of  the  human 
herd.     "What  can   I   do  without   that   modern 


192  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

Juggernaut?  Though  filled  with  great  aims  1 
am  treacherously  stabbed  in  the  night  of  a 
moneyless  Fate,  and  I  must  cringe  before  this 
revolting  female.  So  great  is  her  perversity, 
her  effrontery,  her  shamelessness  that  she  finds 
a  ghoulish  delight  in  exhibiting  me.  The 
nymphomaniac  wants  to  drive  me  every  after- 
noon through  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  to  fling  me 
in  the  face  of  her  former  friends  as  if  to  say : 
'That  is  mine,  even  though  I  have  to  pay  for 
it.  Can  a  cocotte  or  a  high-born  lady  beat 
this?'  Foul  cur  that  I  am!  The  worms 
themselves  are  better  off :  they  at  least  can 
crawl  and  hide  into  the  earth!  Perhaps  I 
ought  not  to  chafe  under  this  humiliating  yoke 
for  millions  of  others  on  this  planet  are,  like 
myself,  crushed  in  one  form  or  another  by  the 
indignities  the  hand  of  gold  can  inflict  upon 
the  starving.  This  poverty  makes  of  me  a 
slave,  even  more  miserable  than  a  negro  born 
in  bondage,  because  through  his  density  and 
inexperience  he  may  regard  his  condition  as 
natural,  while  I,  having  tasted  and  lost   the 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  193 

sweet  fruits  of  wealth  and  liberty,  can  but  rebel 
with  all  my  might  against  an  outrageous 
Providence.  Thank  heavens,  the  time  is  fast 
approaching  when  my  incognito  will  become 
needless :  the  little  Egyptian  must  have  met 
another  man  before  this.  In  fact,  I  often 
think  I  was  a  fool  to  hide  at  all :  women  are 
so  changeable,  so  easily  consoled !  Before  the 
end  of  the  month  I  shall  leave  this  execrable 
house  and  find  Mabel  again.  Everything  is 
purchasable  nowadays.  Love  is  commerce, 
statesmanship  is  business,  and  many  men  sell 
country,  wife,  and  child.  Why  should  I  hesi- 
tate to  barter  away  my  own  self?  With 
Mabel's  wealth,  I  shall  be  able  to  lift  my  head 
quite  high  among  the  world's  ilite,  and  in 
this  sordid '  * 

Zuleika's  dream  was  interrupted  here  by  her 
maid  bringing,  at  the  usual  hour  of  ten,  a  cup 
of  thick  chocolate,  a  crescent,  and  a  copy  of  Le 
Figaro. 

The  abnormal  mental  state  in  which,  without 
the  use  of  the  five  known  senses,  one  may  ap- 


194  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

prehend  a  fact  at  any  distance,  is  understood 
by  a  handful  of  psychologists.  The  nervous 
tension  bordering  on  hysteria  under  which  this 
excitable  Arabian  had  labored  during  months 
of  torment,  was  peculiarly  apt  to  induce,  while 
asleep,  the  exalted  condition  of  somnambulism. 
Her  unscientific  mind  applied  the  popular 
term,  dream,  to  the  inexplicable  phenomenon 
of  her  nocturnal  experiences.  But,  though 
she  could  neither  prove  nor  explain  this  occult 
faculty,  yet  she  was  convinced  of  having  dis- 
covered the  existence  of  a  sixth  sense.  Zuleika 
to-day  felt  sure  that  her  night  visions  had  been 
real  occurrences. 

Upon  this  subject  she  questioned  her  phy- 
sician, a  man  widely  known  for  his  scientific 
knowledge  and  common  sense. 

"Doctor!  Don't  you  believe  one  might  see 
actualities  in  dreams  ?" 

In  view  of  the  limited  comprehension  of 
psychic  phenomena  prevalent  among  physiol- 
ogists it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  this 
doctor  of  medicine  laughed  at  her  notion,  pro- 
nouncing it  absurd  ex  catliedra : 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  195 

"Your  idea  runs  counter  all  common  sense 
and  scientific  data.  You  should  relegate  such 
cobwebs  to  superstitious  old  women,  and  to 
spiritists  and  other  lunatics !" 

Common  sense  and  science,  of  course,  were 
infallible  with  this  schoolman.  He  had  for- 
gotten that,  a  few  centuries  ago,  it  was  com- 
mon sense  to  say  the  earth  was  flat  and 
Columbus'  continents  a  myth.  He  perhaps 
did  not  recollect  that  only  some  years  since,  a 
scientific  man  of  common  sense  exclaimed, 
"Fraud!  'T  is  ventriloquism!"  when  he  first 
heard  the  phonograph.  Consequently,  from 
his  common  point  of  view,  Zuleika's  physi- 
cian had  doubtless  talked  common  sense. 

Rare  indeed  is  the  scientist  who  ever  keeps 
before  him  as  a  guiding  star  the  axiom :  My 
ignorance  of  a  fact  is  no  bar  to  its  possibility. 
To  perforate  the  accumulated  accretions  on 
truth's  integument  formed  by  centuries  of 
crass  ignorance,  unrelenting  prejudice,  and 
misleading  books  needs  a  strong  and  coura- 
geous lance.    Zuleika's  doctor  was  hardly  that. 


196  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

This  learned  man  simply  typified  the  average 
scholastic  mind  which,  though  teeming  with 
learning,  may  yet  be  absolutely  lacking  in  the 
essentials  of  genius — wisdom  and  intuition. 

After  swallowing  a  mouthful  of  chocolate, 
she  looked  at  her  morning  paper  and  read  the 
following  item,  worded  in  the  usual  flippant 
tone,  when  conjugal  faithlessness  is  the  theme 
in  France : 

"The  high  life  will  have  something  spicy  to 
talk  about  for  the  coming  fortnight  aside 
from  the  Dreyfus  affair. 

"Baroness  X ,    already  notorious    for 

similar  indiscretions,  recently  left  her  sweet 
(sic)  hearth.  This  time  the  Eomeo  is  an 
Italian  violinist  by  many  years  her  junior. 
His  musical  gifts,  some  aver,  are  the  cause  of 
the  baroness'  folly.  Those,  however,  who  are 
au  courant  maintain  that  his  ruddy  cheeks 
deserve  all  the  blame.  Whatever  be  the  cause, 
not  having  consulted  the  lady,  her  momentous 
reason  must  remain  conjectural. 

"Instead  of  shooting  the  father  of  his  own 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  197 

children,  the   baron   has   simply  sued  for  a 
divorce.     Next!" 

Dropping  the  journal  she  shouted  gleefully : 
"I  knew  my  dreams  were  true!  Thank 
heavens !  I  shall  soon  see  his  dear  face  again. ' ' 
Except  for  the  omission  of  some  insignifi- 
cant incidents  and  the  haziness  of  all  the 
details,  this  hysterical  woman's  visions  had 
portrayed  Eugene's  life  from  the  moment  he 
embarked  at  Alexandria  some  twelve  months 
ago. 


198  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


XVII. 

That  afternoon  a  messenger  brought  an 
anonymous  note  to  Eugene  addressed  to  Signor 
Giovanni  Parodi.  The  stationery  indicated 
good  taste,  and  its  suggestion  of  heliotrope  left 
little  doubt  as  to  the  writer's  sex;  the  cali- 
graphy,  also,  was  feminine. 

"Ah!  ah!  another  conquest  perhaps.  Let's 
see  what  this  one  has  to  say,"  remarked  he, 
and  then  read : 

"A  lady  wishes  to  meet  Monsieur  Eugene 
Duprez  in  the  Salon  de  Lecture  of  the  Con- 
tinental Hotel  to-morrow  at  eleven  in  the 
morning. ' ' 

"That  is  odd !  This  handwriting  is  entirely 
new  to  me.  Whose  could  it  be?  It  is  proba- 
bly that  of  some  romantic  young  girl  who  has 
heard  me  at  a  concert.     But  how  on  earth  did 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  199 

she  know  I  was  at  the  baroness'  hotel 
under  an  assumed  name !  I  am  also  curious 
to  find  out  why  she  did  not  sign  her  note.  I 
see,  now.  Maybe  she  is  married.  No  mat- 
ter !  a  demain,  then,  ma  chSrie  /' ' 

At  the  appointed  hour,  the  virtuoso,  dressed 
exactly  like  an  English  gentleman,  which 
means  like  the  best-dressed  man  that  treads  this 
earthly  globe,  entered  the  glass  inclosure  in 
the  court  of  the  swell  hostelry,  and  made  a 
bee-line  for  the  place  of  rendezvous.  In  a  non- 
chalant manner  he  thumbed  foreign  reviews 
while  glancing  occasionally  at  the  few  women 
in  the  room,  and  thinking : 

"It  cannot  be  this  one:  she  ought  to  know 
better  than  to  flirt  at  her  age.  Oh !  may  be  it 
is  that  blonde  over  there.  No,  impossible! 
Her  eye  met  mine  twice,  and  she  gave  no  re- 
sponse. Could  it  be  a  joke?  "What  acquain- 
tance have  I  that  would  dare  do  such  a  thing? 
Enemies?  Preposterous!  They  could  not 
find  enough  pleasure  in  so  tame  a  hoax.  By 
Jove!     I  wonder  whether  the   baroness   laid 


200  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

this  trap  for  me.  What  a  row  when  I  get 
back  if  that's  the  case!" 

While  he  was  racking  his  brain  with  other 
suppositions,  a  miniature  gloved  hand,  light 
as  a  rose  leaf,  reposed  upon  his  arm.  He 
turned,  exclaiming: 

"Zuleika!" 

"Hush!  don't  talk  so  loud,  Eugene;  we 
might  attract  attention.  My  coupS  is  at  the 
door;  follow  me,  won't  you?  While  riding 
we  shall  not  be  disturbed.  I  must  speak 
with  you, ' '  she  hastily  whispered. 

The  dress  she  wore  was  stylish  and  of  dark 
cloth;  the  skirt  rather  long  and  full  at  the 
bottom ;  above,  it  fitted  tightly,  except  behind 
where  it  was  set  in  little  pleats  that  widened  as 
they  descended.  It  was  embroidered  on  each 
side  with  designs  in  black  velvet,  inlaid  on  the 
cloth  in  the  form  of  branches.  Her  corsage 
was  of  the  polonaise  style,  independent  of 
the  skirt ;  it  had  one  pointed  lapel  on  the  right 
side,  and  was,  like  the  apron  of  the  skirt,  em- 
broidered with   branches.     Her  neck  was  en- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  201 

circled  by  a  wide  velvet  bow  with  a  big  square 
buckle  in  the  center  studded  with  diamonds, 
and  a  belt  of  gold  thread  and  pearls  clasped 
her  slender  waist.  Near  the  left  lapel  of  her 
corsage,  dangled  a  watch  hardly  larger  than 
the  nail  of  her  little  finger,  and  covered  with 
small  rubies.  Upon  Zuleika's  well-poised 
head  rested  a  toque  draped  with  white  tulle 
spotted  with  silver  spangles.  This  coquettish 
hat  arose  rather  higher  on  the  left  side,  under- 
neath it  laid  a  black  feather  drooping  over  her 
abundant,  overflowing  chignon,  while  on  the 
right,  another  black  feather  stood  proudly  per- 
pendicular. Around  the  shoulders  carelessly 
hung  a  cape  of  Russian  sable.  But  for  the 
odd  tint  of  her  skin,  this  high-toned  woman 
would  have  been  taken  for  a  member  of  the 
very  ultra  select  Parisian  aristocracy.  She 
carried  herself  with  such  ease  and  grace  that 
no  one  could  have  fancied  the  lady  had  ever 
stepped  except  over  thick  carpets  across  splen- 
did drawing  rooms.  Her  language  harmonized 
with  this  gracious  presence.     The  peculiarity 


202  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

of  her  idioms  and  pronunciation,  divulging 
their  Eastern  origin,  added  piquancy  to  the 
rigid  syntax  and  strangely  chosen  diction  that 
characterize  the  well-educated  foreigner,  be  he 
in  Paris  or  Tokio. 

After  entering  the  carriage,  Zuleika  briefly 
related  her  past  since  the  day  Eugene  left  her. 
Their  baby  had  died  months  ago,  but  she  was 
so  happy  to  be  with  him  that  the  remembrance 
of  this  maternal  grief  cast  no  shadow  over  her 
present  bliss.  Although  she  had  adored  the 
little  one,  Zuleika  resigned  herself  easily  to 
the  loss  of  a  daughter  born  under  such  sad 
conditions.  "Considering  these  circum- 
stances," believed  she,  "Eugenie  is  better  off 
in  heaven. ' ' 

"I  cannot  help  wondering  at  your  marvelous 
progress  in  the  art  of  savoir-vivre.  It  is  a 
complete  metamorphosis,  and  in  so  short  a 
time,  too!  You  cannot  conceive  how  much 
your  beauty  is  enhanced  by  the  charm  of  your 
manners. ' '  In  brief,  he  was  captivated.  * '  Will 
you  forgive  me,  Zuleika?" 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  203 

"Certainly,  I  forgive  you.  But  you  shall 
never  leave  me  again,  will  you?" 

"My  darling!  you  were  and  you  still  are 
the  sweetest,  the  loveliest  woman  I  know!" 

"Yes,  you  have  told  me  that  times  unnum- 
bered, but  oh !  do  say  to  me  that  you  love  me, 
that  you  will  always  stay  by  me!" 

"If  I  were  rich  I  would  marry  you  to-day 
and  never,  never  again  pass  another  hour  with- 
out my  dear,  dainty  Zuleika. '  * 

"Pshaw!  Why  don't  you  do  as  I  say? 
Why  won't  you  vow  never  again  to  leave 
me?"  asked  she  impatiently  while  stamping 
her  tiny  boot. 

1 '  Dearest !  you  should  be  reasonable.  I  may 
truthfully  assert  that  I  care  more  for  you  than 
for  any  other  woman.  Notwithstanding  this, 
I  cannot  marry  you,  I  cannot  even  promise  to 
live  always  with  you.     We  are  too  poor." 

"What  of  that!  A  piece  of  rye  bread  in  a 
hut  with  you  were  paradise  to  me.  I'll  make 
you  happy,  though  we  be  penniless.  You'll 
forget  your  poverty.     I'll  be  so  good  to  you !" 


204  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

While  speaking  she  had  gradually  tightened 
her  clasp  around  his  neck,  and  now  was  cover- 
ing his  eyes  and  lips  with  ardent  kisses. 

Delicately  loosening  the  plump  little  arms 
that  nearly  strangled  him,  Eugene  waited  an 
instant  that  she  might  regain  her  composure 
after  this  immoderate  outburst  of  passion,  and 
then  said : 

"Let  us  love  again  without  that  fearful 
compact,  Forever !  If  one  of  us  were  wealthy, 
no  joy  could  be  comparable  to  ours.  I  assure 
you,  under  such  conditions,  I  would  not  seek 
happiness  elsewhere.  Life  is  so  stern,  how- 
ever, without  money  that,  sooner  or  later,  I 
would  regret  having  wedded  an  impecunious 
wife,  no  matter  how  good  she  be ;  therefore,  I 
have  decided  to  marry  a  wealthy  woman,  if  I 
should  ever  give  up  bachelorhood.  I  value 
your  affection,  my  beloved,  and  I  know  I  am 
unworthy  of  it.  But,  dear  Zuleika,  all  the 
love  in  the  universe  would  not  buy  food  and 
clothing  nor  pay  house  rent. ' ' 

The  two  had  left  the  vehicle  some  minutes 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  205 

since  and  were  slowly  entering  hand  in  hand 
the  woods  of  Saint  Cloud. 

While  he  was  speaking  an  inward  voice  told 
her: 

"Futile  are  thy  entreaties,  thy  alluring 
charms  and  fine  education.  In  vain  hast  thou 
toiled  day  and  night  to  become  a  lady.  Gold 
alone  can  win  that  man,"  and  she  mentally 
responded  with  terrible  emphasis : 

"I  shall  find  him  the  gold  then!" 

While  these  thoughts  zigzagged  her  brain, 
Zuleika's  demeanor  grew  calmer;  meanwhile, 
Eugene's  ardor  increased  visibly,  but  she 
gently  repressed  his  effusions,  and  using  the 
feminine  prerogative,  flatly  refused  to  let  him 
kiss  her  unless  he  vowed  to  abide  with  her  for- 
ever. 

"I  cannot  deceive  you.  It  is  impossible  to 
agree  to  this.  Since  I  was  born  I  have  been 
unable  to  support  myself  in  the  style  I  wish ; 
still  less  can  I  support  two.  I  am  ambitious 
and  must  have  wealth  at  any  price.  With  me, 
as   you  already  learned  to   your  sorrow,  the 


206  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

heart  always  receives  a  secondary  considera- 
tion. I  cannot  promise  what  you  ask, 
Zuleika." 

"Is  that  your  final  word?" 

"I  am  sorry,  yet  it  must  be." 

"Au  revoir,  then,  Eugene!"  and  hastily 
entering  her  carriage,  she  was  driven  off  alone. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  207 


XVIII. 

His  incognito  being  no  longer  necessary, 
the  musician  reappeared  as  a  violin  virtuoso. 
Fame  kept  pace  with  his  singular  merit,  and  a 
short  time  after  the  preceding  interview  with 
Zuleika,  having  severed  his  degrading  liaison, 
he  found  himself,  as  of  yore,  petted  by  the 
opulent  and  the  great.  His  fees  invested  at  a 
low  rate  of  interest  would  have  enriched  him 
in  a  few  years,  had  it  not  been  that,  following 
the  example  of  the  majority  of  artists,  he  was 
a  spendthrift.  An  elegant  apartment  in  the 
Avenue  de  1!  Opera,  and  a  pretty  villa  at  Monte 
Carlo,  ate  up  the  princely  receipts  faster  than 
they  came.  After  concert  tours  bringing 
larger  and  larger  returns,  he  yet  was  in  debt. 

At  this  period  he  stood  in  dire  pecuniary 
straits.  A  note  for  five  thousand  pounds  was 
about  to  mature  and  his  latest  bank   statement 


208  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

showed  less  than  two  thousand.  To  complicate 
matters  this  occurred  in  August,  precisely 
when  the  musical  season  is  at  a  standstill. 
Perplexed,  tantalized,  and  foreseeing  no  escape 
except  in  marriage,  he  decided  to  offer  Mabel 
his  hand.  So  cavalier-like  a  solution  when  a 
bachelor  is  confronted  by  a  serious  financial 
problem  is  not  very  uncommon  in  our  utili- 
tarian age. 

Without  further  elucidation,  Eugene's  plan 
might  seem  absurdly  presumptuous  in  view  of 
Miss  Wilson's  discernment;  the  circumstances, 
however,  warranted  him  fully  in  looking  at 
this  union  in  the  light  of  an  accomplished  fact. 
In  every  mail  came  long  and  affectionate 
letters  from  her.  It  was  not  yesterday  either 
that  she  had  revealed  the  state  of  her  feelings. 
Time  had  gone  by  when  reading  between  the 
lines  was  required,  for,  to-day,  this  proud 
young  lady  unequivocally  wrote  that  she  could 
never  be  a  happy  woman  without  him. 

An  unusual  mind  had  not  unsexed  the 
highly-endowed    girl.     Though    she     had    a 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  209 

clear  perception  of  his  malignant  character,  she 
still  loved  with  all  the  warmth  and  sincerity  of 
her  noble  soul.  Her  affection  led  her  to  be- 
lieve he  was  not  beyond  redemption,  and  an 
unspeakable  tenderness  inspired  the  lofty  hope 
of  making  a  model  husband  of  this  satanical 
rake. 

Where  is  your  logic  now,  Miss  Wilson? 
Where  are  your  reasoning  powers  ?  It  is  much 
easier  to  reflect  and  argue  calmly  and  wisely 
about  the  love  affairs  of  others,  is  it  not? 

"I  will  reform  him,"  resolved  she.  "I will 
bring  to  him  what  he  lost  with  his  mother : 
that  is  a  task  well  worth  the  most  strenuous 
effort  of  any  wife.  I  know  that  underneath 
his  badness  there  is  a  layer  of  good  which  only 
needs  unearthing.  I  wonder  whether  he  shall 
prove  the  exception  to  the  awful  rule  of  recidi- 
vism: Once  a  criminal,  always  a  criminal? 
No  matter !  I  shall  gladly  suffer  for  him  so 
long  as  I  can  suffer  near  him.  Ah !  I  begin 
to  understand  why  intellectual  men  may  fall 
into  the  snares  of  the  silliest  girls. M 


210  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

Come  forth !  thou  poisoned  Flower  of  Love. 
"Wither  another  heart  in  thy  petals  of  death 
and  pour  into  a  new  cup  thy  inebriating  phil- 
ter. Thou  hesitatest?  'Tis  but  one  more  self- 
immolating  victim  that  naively  asks  to  inhale 
thy  sweet  toxic. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  211 


XIX. 

The  leaves  are  returning  to  Good  Mother 
Earth  and  swallows  hasten  south.  It  is  the 
time  of  the  year  stray  patches  of  green  give  the 
country  in  northern  zones  the  aspect  of  a  vast 
leopard  skin.  It  is  autumn,  when  living 
vegetation  still  struggles  against  the  advanc- 
ing hosts  of  decay  which,  obeying  Nature's 
stern  law,  trample  over  variegated  fields, 
bruising  fruit  and  flower,  while  they  daub 
brook,  hill,  and  dale  in  one  single  mournful 
color.  At  this  period,  Fate's  favored  few, 
volatile  as  the  dwellers  of  the  air,  fly  with 
them  to  softer  climes,  and  the  sunny  azure 
shores  of  the  sea  consecrated  by  Petrarch  be- 
come enlivened  by  human  humming  birds,  a 
sociologist  more  precise  than  polite  might 
label,  Mosquitoes. 

The  winter  stations  along  the  Eiviera,  out- 


212  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

doing  one  another  in  splendor,  are  supremely 
overshadowed  by  a  heavenly  diadem  in  their 
center — Monte  Carlo !  that  fairy -like  nook  of 
France  with  the  flora  of  Persia,  that  paradise 
for  mortal  souls. 

Mohammed's  worldly  heaven  itself  offers  no 
more  than  is  here  for  the  well-filled  purse: 
a  symphony  orchestra,  the  opera  and  the  play 
with  galaxies  of  stars,  gambling  in  its  most  se- 
ducing forms,  sybaritic  cooking  and  rarest  vin- 
tages, sumptuous  residences  and  palatial  hotels. 
Then — most  interesting  of  all! — resplendent 
pea-hens,  frivolous  as  beauteous,  and  made 
even  more  bewitching  by  aesthetic  milliners  and 
lapidaries,  may  be  seen  strutting  and  crowing 
about  the  atrium,  the  concert-hall,  and  the 
gorgeous  gaming  rooms,  dropping  their  feathers 
around  the  suicide-breeding  tables  under  the 
escort  of  males  more  courtly  than  learned, 
who,  in  the  conventional,  solemn,  lugubrious 
dress  coat,  suggest  turkey -buzzards. 

This,  and  much  more  than  one  would  dare 
tell,  is  observed   in   the   midst   of   a   natural 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  213 

scenario,  surpassing  in  its  picturesque  reality 
all  the  inventions  of  the  idyllic  poets. 

On  the  veranda  of  the  Cafe  de  Paris,  facing 
the  Church  of  Sainte-Eoulette,  Eugene  is  leis- 
urely taking  his  noon  bitter.  A  splendid 
equipage  draws  up  within  a  few  feet  of  his 
table,  and  a  footman  in  severe  black  livery 
with  a  crape  cockade  on  the  tall  hat  opens  the 
carriage  door  to  a  young  woman  in  widow's 
weeds  who  advances,  offering  her  hand,  while 
saying : 

"My  dear  Eugene,  how  happy  I  am  to  see 
you  again!" 

"I  am  also  very — very  glad  to  see  you. 
How  came  you  to  wear  this  veil,  Zuleika?" 

"I  am  a  widow.     Can't  you  see?" 

"A  widow!  this  is  certainly  news.  And 
whose,  I  pray?" 

"Alas!  it  is  a  long  and  pathetic  story;  but, 
I  shall  be  brief.  You  doubtless  remember  why 
I  left  you  at  Saint-Cloud ;  it  will  be  two  years 
Monday.    I  have  a  good  memory,  have  I  not?" 

"At  Saint-Cloud.     Why!  to  be  sure!"  said 


214  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

he,  wonder  ingly,  for  he  had  absolutely  for- 
gotten why  she  left  him  there;  forgotten! 
while  in  her  heart  that  reason  was  branded 
with  a  red-hot  iron.  He  went  on:  "Of  course, 
now  I  recollect.  We  had  a  little  quarrel,  had 
we  not?" 

"Yes,  and  when  you  told  me  that  you  could 
not  marry  me  because  we  were  poor,  I  set  out 
there  and  then  to  get  rich. ' ' 

A  fearful  truth  at  these  words  flashed  upon 
him.  His  rosy  complexion  turned  livid, 
cadaverous,  and  icy  centipedes  crept  across 
his  shoulder  blades.  His  teeth  chattered :  had 
he  wished  to  speak  he  could  not  have  pro- 
nounced two  syllables.  His  right  leg  resting 
upon  the  toes  moved  up  and  down  at  a  fright- 
ful rate  without  leaving  the  floor,  indicating  an 
uncontrollable  state  of  nervousness.  That  un- 
relaxing  iron  will  appalled  him.  Filled  with 
shame  and  remorse  he,  at  this  moment,  envied 
the  roaches:  they  could  hide  in  dark  crevices, 
while  he  was  forced  to  face  his  conscience  and 
that  martyrized  woman. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  215 

"I  made  the  colonel  think  I  loved  him  and 
he  offered  me  his  name, ' '  Zuleika  pursued. 
"To  postpone  the  date  of  our  wedding  from 
week  to  week,  I  had  to  resort  to  much  trickery, 
I  can  assure  you.  One  night,  finally,  the 
physicians  informed  me  he  could  not  last 
until  morning.  Then  only  did  I  accept  his 
title  and  fortune,  that  I  might  come  to  you 
wealthy  and  still  faithful,  a  widow  only  in 
name.  We  are  rich  now,  Eugene.  Nothing 
in  this  life  can  keep  us  apart.  Aren't  you 
very  glad?" 

"Zuleika,"  stuttered  he  tremblingly,  "let 
us  take  a  short  walk  towards  the  railway 
station.     I  cannot  speak  here. ' ' 

Silently  they  followed  the  cemented  path- 
ways lined  with  aloes,  palms,  magnolias,  cac- 
tuses and  other  exotic  plants.  Through  the 
smiling  garden  on  the  rock  that  holds  the 
magnificent  Casino,  and  faces  the  castle  of 
Monaco's  prince,  they  advanced  oblivious  of 
their  lovely  surroundings,  wholly  unconcerned 
with  a  scene  in  which  Nature   and  Art  have 


216  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

wedded  to  create  ineffable  beauty.  To  see  this 
mournful  couple  pass  by  one  might  have 
fancied  they  were  on  their  road  to  the  gallows. 
Measuredly,  Eugene  and  Zuleika  descended 
the  easy  steps,  their  eyes,  the  while,  vacantly 
staring  at  the  stupendous  shell  of  mother-of- 
pearl  formed  by  the  sea  at  their  feet  and  its 
opal  dome. 

At  last,  his  courage  returning,  he  broke  the 
painful  silence : 

"I  am  the  worst  of  men.  When  I  recall 
your  devotion  and  the  tortures  endured  for 
me,  I  wish  a  tribunal  would  sentence  me 
to  death:  the  punishment  might  atone  in 
part  for  my  crime.  Zuleika !  I  may  have  been 
incapable  of  loving,  but  not  of  suffering,  and 
here  stands  before  you  a  soul  in  agony.  * '  His 
eyes  obscured  with  honest  tears,  he  pursued : 
"The  hour  of  retribution  has  already  sounded. 
I  shall  never  know  another  restful  day.  Let 
one  more  sacrifice  proclaim  your  divine  hero- 
ism :  I  too  am  heroic  just  now,  far  more  than 
you  may  ever  know.     Promise  me  never  again 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  217 

to  tempt  me.  I  do  not  ask  this  for  my  own 
sake:  I  deserve  nothing  at  your  hands.  I 
implore  it  upon  my  bended  knees  for  an  inno- 
cent being,  for — my  wife!" 

"I  promise  that,  Eugene,  but  I  keep  eter- 
nally the  privilege  of  praying  Allah  to  send 
you  back  to  me. ' ' 

"Good-by,  poor  Zuleika!" 


218  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 


XX. 

Mabel  attributed  to  her  benign  influence  the 
faot  that  her  husband  had  become  a  better  man. 
It  is  true  she  regretted  he  was  growing  a  little 
too  serious.  Of  late  she  had  had  frequent 
occasions  to  suffer  at  the  sight  of  his  melan- 
choly, the  cause  of  which  she  could  neither 
trace  nor  remove.  Her  sympathy  forced  her 
many  a  time  to  share  his  inexplicable  depres- 
sion ;  nevertheless,  she  usually  consoled  herself 
with  the  conviction  that  no  other  woman 
reigned  in  Eugene's  heart.  Mabel's  fear  that 
he  might  return  to  his  customary  dissipations 
was  allayed.  The  noisy  pleasures  and  the 
thoughtless  women  had  lost  their  empire  over 
him.  He,  formerly  so  gallant,  so  eager  of  new 
conquests,  now  barely  noticed  the  bevy  of 
feather-brained  coquettes  who  fluttered  about 
him.     He  managed  his  wife's  estate  with  judi- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  219 

cious  care,  and  spent  upon  himself  much  less 
than  he  earned.  The  desire  to  shine  as  a  social 
meteor  had  vanished,  and  instead  of  struggling 
to  that  end,  he  divided  his  attention  be- 
tween a  cherished  wife  and  his  congenial 
studies. 

Alas !  it  requires  more  than  the  wisest  and 
most  devoted  love  to  make  a  dear  one  happy ; 
thus,  in  spite  of  Mabel's  tactful  and  generous 
affection,  her  husband  was  far  from  satisfied. 
She  often  queried : 

"Why  such  a  big  sigh,  Eugene?  You  work 
too  hard,  I  fear.  I  do  not  ask  that  you  re- 
sume your  former  extravagances — that  were 
going  too  far  the  other  way — but  I  do  wish 
you  might  be  more  jovial.  You  seem  so  dis- 
tracted: what  ails  you?  Is  there  anything 
I  may  do  to  make  you  more  contented  with 
your  lot ?" 

"Nothing,  dear.  I  am  as  well  off  as  I  can 
be,  and  certainly  I  am  more  so  than  I  deserve. 
Have  I  not  your  love?  I  should  not  let  you 
see  me,  save  when  in  my  best  moods ;  unf or- 


220  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

tunately  I  am  not  always  able  to  control  my 
morbid  mental  manifestations. ' ' 

"No  matter  about  me,  Eugene.  It  is  of 
you  that  I  think.  I  wish  I  could  know  the 
spring  of  those  melancholy  spells.  Might  not 
this  present  depression  be  a  reaction  from  your 
tempestuous  past?" 

"Possibly.  Whatever  be  the  explanation, 
it  is  well  not  to  linger  upon  this  theme." 

She  discreetly  sat  down  at  the  piano,  im- 
provised a  few  measures,  and  after  modulat- 
ing into  the  dominant  seventh  of  the  key  of 
F  hummed  in  a  dreamy  mezza-voce  a  bit  of 
song  she  often  sang  to  him  far  away  in  Egypt 
from  the  loneliness  of  her  Sussex  country  seat. 

As  the  final  lingering  organ  point  impercep- 
tibly died  away,  she  said : 

"Before  leaving  you  for  the  last  time,  as 
you  then  thought,  do  you  remember  how 
apparently  indifferent  I  was,  how  trifling  were 
my  parting  words?  I  was  trying  so  eagerly 
to  conceal  the  tenderness  I  felt  toward  you 
that  I  must  have  seemed  feelingless.     Oh !  my 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  221 

beloved,  could  you  have  read  within  my  soul 
the  day  I  left  you  in  Cairo  bound  for  England, 
I  might  have  escaped  the  two  horribly  dismal 
years  'I  passed  in  Glenmere  away  from  you. 
Our  estate  is  charming,  as  you  know,  the 
shooting  fair,  the  horses  excellent,  and  our 
modern  house  as  convenient  as  a  home  can  be ; 
in  addition,  agreeable  friends  from  many  parta 
visit  us  in  rapid  succession,  and  famous  liU 
t&rateurs  and  musicians  seldom  come  to  London 
without  breaking  bread  at  our  board:  yet, 
for  all  that,  my  only  pleasure  during  those 
unhappy  years  came  from  reading  and  re-read- 
ing your  letters.  ■ ' 

While  she  sang  and  spoke  he  remained 
in  a  profound  reverie,  a  state  habitual  to 
him  when  she  made  professions  of  affec- 
tion; then  he  abruptly  broke  the  thread 
of  her  thoughts  by  an  irrelevant  suggestion, 
as  he  was  wont  to  do  in  analagous  instances : 

"By  the  way,  have  you  mastered  that 
passage  in  sixths  in  the  finale  of  Kubinstein's 
sonata   for  violin   and   piano?     I   mean    the 


222  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

sonata  beginning  in  so  fresh  and  exhilarating 
a  way  as  to  make  the  players  feel  they  are 
entering  woodlands  together  on  a  perfect  May 
morning,  while  the  air  is  pregnant  with  the 
odor  of  violets,  lilies,  and  hyacinths,  and 
nightingales  in  the  tall  trees  blend  their  rou- 
lades, appogiatnras,  and  fiorituras  to  the 
pedal  notes  of  the  crawling  things  that  snore  in 
the  damp  grass.  Let  us  try  that  entire  work 
again,  what  say  you?" 

And  for  the  hundredth  time  this  couple  dis- 
pelled their  sadness  by  the  aid  of  that  innocu- 
ous art. 

"  Music,  of  all  earthly  pleasures,  is  the  only 
one  that  leaves  no  after-taste. ' ' 

"You  are  quite  right,  Mabel.  Everything 
with  time  turns  insipid,  all  sensations  pall 
upon  our  blunted  palate,  and  regret  or  re- 
morse treads  over  the  heel  of  each  joy. 
Music,  on  the  contrary,  grows  keener,  more 
delicious  as  we  advance  in  years.  Perhaps  it 
is  thus  to  compensate  us  for  the  loss  of  other 
delights.     The  gentle  muse,  instead   of  scat- 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  223 

tering  shame  or  sorrow  on  its  way,  as  most 
pleasures  do,  generally  fills  us  with  loftier 
aims  and  nobler  aspirations.  Nowadays, 
aside  from  you,  my  good  wife,  there  is  left  to 
me  only  music  to  lighten  the  chain  I  must 
drag  to  the  sepulchral  shore. ' ' 

This  was  not  exact.  Something  else  besides 
Mabel  and  music  could  have  invigorated  his 
blighted  soul,  but  that  was  a  thing  he  dared 
not  speak  of.  It  was  an  object  dearer  than 
life  itself,  grander  than  all  the  earth  and  the 
seas  it  contains,  vaster  than  the  scintillating 
heavens  of  a  perfect  night  in  June — it  was 
Zuleika!  Zuleika  whom  he  now  loved  to 
perdition. 

From  the  hour  of  the  bitter  parting  at 
Monte  Carlo  a  feeling  of  inexpressible  pathos 
had  invaded  his  being.  No  day  went  by  with- 
out a  violent  inner  struggle  tearing  him  asun- 
der. He  wanted  to  fly  to  Zuleika,  yet  hesi- 
tated to  commit  another  infamy  by  abandoning 
a  loving  wife.  His  brain  incessantly  ached 
with  these  conflicting  motives.     Only  on  Sun- 


224  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

days,  at  church,  did  he  find  rest:  there  the 
weight  upon  his  chest  seemed  lightened.  He 
knew  no  prayer,  having  forgotten  the  one  his 
mother  taught  him;  nevertheless,  the  rever- 
ence he  to-day  felt  towards  an  Infinite  Un- 
known found  eloquent  expression  in  his  dumb 
humility.  Had  he  not  been  bound  to  the 
world  by  his  marital  ties  he  would  long  since 
have  entered  a  monastery :  a  life  of  privations, 
thought  he,  might  stop  the  abominable  and 
unending  gnawing  at  his  soul.  Like  other 
mortals  when  in  despair  he,  too,  looked  above 
for  consolation  and  found  a  merciful  God. 

Though  Eugene  lacked  the  moral  strength 
to  go  to  his  adored  Egyptian,  he  could  not 
refrain  from  seeking  information  relating  to 
her.  One  memorable  day  he  got  the  follow- 
ing report  from  his  agent  : 

"Cairo,  March  28,  1898. 

"Sir:  The  Countess  de  Danvre  was  carried 
this  morning  to  the  Villa  des  Palmiers  which, 
I  am  told,  she  owns  since  about  four  years. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  225 

One  of  her  servants  said  to  me  that  the  coun- 
tess formerly  lived  there  with  a  European  she 
was  very  fond  of,  and  the  reason  why  she 
quits  her  extensive  suite  at  Ghesireh  Palace 
for  that  less  comfortable  place  is  in  order  that 
she  may  die  among  suggestions  of  a  past  sweet 
to  her.  Dr.  Mathews,  our  leading  specialist 
on  pulmonary  diseases,  thinks  she  will  not 
see  the  end  of  the  winter  season. ' ' 

Immediately  after  reading  this,  Eugene  left 
the  house,  while  his  wife  was  momentarily 
out.  When  she  returned,  the  maid  handed 
her  this  note : 

"Deak  Mabel:  I  am  unable  to  explain  my 
miserable  conduct  and  I  shall  not  endeavor  to 
excuse  it.  You  are  a  perfect  wife,  and  though 
I  have  never  felt  for  you  what  is  termed  love, 
I  would  have  stayed  near  you  until  the  grave, 
respecting  and  appreciating  your  noble  woman- 
hood. But  I  have  now  a  great  reparation  to 
make — an  ugly  sin  to  expiate — and  for  that  I 
am  obliged  to  abandon  you.  There  is  no 
other  means.  Were  I  to  remain  wit?  this 
canker  on  my  conscience,  I  could  but  make 


226  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

your  life  intolerable  and,  in  any  manner,   I 
would  soon  do  away  with  my  worthless  self. 

"You  lose  nothing  in  losing  me.     I  am   a 
vile  beast  any  one  should  be  glad  to  get  rid  of. 

"Adieu!  Forever! 

"May  God  watch  over  you! 

"Eugene  Dupbez." 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  %%? 


XXL 

On  the  steamer  that  carried  him  at  too  slow 
a  speed  to  Ismailia,  this  wretched  man  was 
constantly  assailed  by  sorrowful  reflections. 
While  the  other  passengers  peacefully  slum- 
bered, he  nervously  paced  up  and  down  the 
deck,  glaring  at  the  black  opaque  waters  below, 
symbolic  of  his  future,  thinking: 

"Ah!  you  sought  the  chimera  of  ephemeral 
fruits  and  now  your  mouth  is  filled  with  ashes. 
For  moments  of  earthly  bliss  you  must  pay 
with  an  eternity  of  torment.  I  am  glad 
my  senses  shall  not  harass  me  much  longer. 
I  have  floated  far  enough  as  a  moral  derelict 
upon  life's  ocean.  Vigor  of  mind  and  muscles 
has  departed  and  in  my  hair  are  traces  of 
snow — at  twenty -six !  If  she  die,  my  martyr- 
dom will  be  that  of  the  damned.  Forever 
shall  I  wetp  in  my  impotence  to  dry  the  tears 


228  .HE  vicious  virtuoso. 

I  caused.  My  life  without  her  will  be  a  liv- 
ing death.  Who  knows  but  at  this  very  in- 
stant she  is  expiring !  Oh !  no !  that  could 
not  be !  I  shall  see  her  again  and  in  the  glow 
of  my  love  revive  that  frail  tropical  flower. 
She  is  so  good,  so  young  too !  Grant  her  life, 
O  God!  Let  me  undo  the  wrong  I  have 
done." 

Since  the  last  meeting  on  the  Kiviera, 
Zuleika's  spirit  had  been  like  a  bee  blown  by 
a  sudden  gust  of  wind  from  a  fragrant  clump 
of  pomegranates  into  a  dreary  waste  more  dis- 
mal than  the  Sahara.  Arid  lands  have  their 
green  confines,  their  dazzling  canopies,  and 
here  and  there  cool  oases,  but  this  poor  child's 
hopeless  soul  now  floated  through  sunless  days 
and  starless  nights  over  a  mournful  plain 
without  horizon. 

Until  the  announcement  of  Eugene's  marriage 
she  had  nourished  the  hope  that  some  sacrifice 
or  other  would  bring  him  back.  To-day,  the 
last  air-castle  had  crumbled  away,  leaving  iior 
heart  crushed  and  bleeding. 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  229 

In  spite  of  all  her  sufferings,  at  no  time  did 
she  entertain  the  slightest  feeling  of  resent- 
ment. She  felt  only  a  boundless  love  and  a 
profound  gratitude  for  having  reigned  in  his 
fancy,  though  her  reign  had  lasted  but  the 
length  of  a  season. 

To-day,  this  beautiful  Mohammedan  was 
succumbing  without  complaining,  owing  to 
her  fatalistic  religion.  As  she  was  about  to 
expire,  Heaven,  pitying  her,  portrayed  a  celes- 
tial imagery :  the  soul  no  less  than  the 
desert  has  its  illusive  mirages.  In  the  final 
paroxysm  of  delirium  she  sees  her  idol  approach 
the  house  through  the  alley  of  orange-trees, 
his  horse  bleeding  from  spur  wounds.  Close 
to  her  sunken  cheek  now  lays  his  cheek,  be- 
smeared with  the  dust  of  travel  and  the  tears 
shed  for  her ;  and  through  the  vapory  cloud  of 
her  last  agony,  he  and  she  sit  side  by  side 
apon  the  verdant  banks  of  the  Eiver  of  Love. 

As  the  nurse  and  the  physician  conclude  the 
end  has  come,  they  are  astonished  to  behold 
the  moribund' s  eyes  reopen,  staring  at  an  in- 


23l>  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

visible  object  in  front.  The  hectic  flush  reap- 
pears through  a  new  impulse  given  the  slug- 
gish blood,  and  dying  Zuleika  looks  supremely 
happy.  Slowly  raising  her  desiccated  arms 
and  crossing  them  upon  her  breast  as  in  the 
act  of  enfolding  the  sweetest  being  in  the 
whole  universe,  she  babbles  in  a  soft  mono- 
tone, high-pitched  and  sounding  as  an  echo 
from  the  tomb : 

"I  knew  you  would  come  back.  From  the 
first  hour  we  met  a  voice  whispered  we  were 
made  for  each  other,  and  though  divided,  yet 
united  by  indissoluble  ligaments  that  distance, 
years,  yea,  crimes!  could  not  sever.  My 
youth,  my  babe,  my  education,  my  fortune — 
all  was  in  vain!  'T  is  pity,  pity  for  Zuleika 
dying  to  gain  your  love  that  touched  your 
heart.  Oh !  I  am  so  happy !  so  happy !  be- 
cause, now  you  love  me M 

Allah  had  answered  her  prayer  too  late. 
While  a  servant  was  tenderly  lowering  the 
silken  black  lashes  over  ghastly  protruding 
eyeballfe,     Eugene    rushed     into    the    room 


THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO.  231 

like  a  madman  and  in  a  heart-wringing  tone 
cried : 

"Am  I  too  late,  doctor?" 

A  nod  answered  him. 

Before  so  profound  a  grief,  to  offer  consola- 
tion would  have  been  grotesque.  The  specta- 
tors in  the  mortuary  chamber  simply  looked 
in  respectful  silence  upon  this  wretched 
man  who,  in  a  heap  on  his  knees,  piteously 
moaned : 

"I  alone  should  have  died.  Be  merciful  to 
her,  yonder.  She  has  suffered  so  much  here 
below!  Oh!  cruel  God!  why  did  you  not 
allow  me  to  see  her  once  more!" 

After  pressing  his  blanched  lips  upon  the 
rigid  face,  Eugene  Duprez  solemnly  walked 
out  into  the  night  air. 

...... 

By  the  time  the  faithful  were  summoned 
to  another  rooming  prayer  from  the  top  of 
Cairo's  minarets,  the  news  of  the  virtuoso's 
tragic  end  transpired  in  the  European  quarter 
of  the  city. 


232  THE  VICIOUS  VIRTUOSO. 

In  the  garden  of  the  Villa  des  Palmiersy 
near  the  hedge  of  prickly  pears,  his  body  had 
been  found  with  a  Damascus  poniard  still 
stuck  in  the  right  temple.  A  hasty  examina- 
tion revealed  also  two  frightful  gashes  in  the  car- 
diac region.  Maestro  Duprez  was  not  known 
to  have  enemies,  and  no  valuables  were  miss- 
ing; furthermore,  the  loss  of  a  woman  he 
dearly  loved  easily  proved  a  case  of  suicide  to 
the  local  authorities. 

In  this  sultry  climate,  the  dead  are  quickly 
buried.  Perhaps  it  is  best  thus  in  this  par- 
ticular instance,  for,  had  an  autopsy  been 
made,  it  would  have  electrified  everyone :  the 
corpse  was  minus  its  most  vital  organ. 

And  the  mystery  might  still  remain  un- 
raveled because,  on  the  night  of  Zuleika's 
death,  no  mortal  eye  saw  her  maniac  brother 
leap  the  prickly  fence,  grinning  like  a  drunken 
monkey,  while  in  his  bloody  jaws  he  crunched 
a  human  heart. 

THE    END. 


RETURN         J> 
TO—*,      i. 

ifckL) 

1            Ik 

3 

4 

5                               ( 

b 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 

SENTONfLL 

NOV  0  5  1998 

U.  C.  BERKELEY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 
FORM  NO.  DD  1 9                          BERKELEY,  CA  94720            fc 

Lombard,  L, 
he  vicious 

virtuoso. 

L841 

V 

1909 

552")  11 


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